The Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said that it was wrong to draw any parallel between killing of innocent Sikhs in 1984 and the Ghodra riots in Gujarat. Interacting with the media persons on the sidelines of Sangat Darshan program of Malout assembly segment here today, the Chief Minister said that the unfortunate incident that happened in Ghodra city of Gujarat were riots whereas the killings in 1984 was a carnage of the Sikhs undertaken at the behest of then Congress government at the centre. He said that the riots are always a result of clash between two communities whereas what happened in 1984 was a planned execution of Sikhs as the then Union government had used all its might to kill the Sikhs by especially targeting them. Mr. Badal said that the Centre government had deliberately allowed the killings of Sikhs to take place by becoming a mute spectator to this dastardly act. The Chief Minister further said that due to the inaction of the Union government and the Police, the mob led by the Congress leaders had killed the innocent Sikhs in full public view. He said that even several enquiries conducted for probing the 1984 carnage have time and again indicted the Congress leaders for their dubious role behind the massacre of the innocent Sikhs in Delhi and other parts of the country. However, Mr. Badal bemoaned that despite of several proofs the culprits of this heinous crime were still roaming free and instead of taking any action against them the Congress party has been rewarding them with the coveted posts. Replying to another query, the Chief Minister, while expressing concern over the killings of the Punjabi youth in various foreign countries like Philippines, said that the Union government must take steps to safeguard the life and property of Punjabi youth settled abroad.
He said that it was the bounden duty of the Centre to protect the lives of countrymen residing in any part of the world. Earlier addressing the gatherings during the Sangat Darshan in various wards of the city, the Chief Minister categorically said that he was committed for ensuring the welfare of the residents of the state at any cost. Mr. Badal said that there was no question of joining the national politics and he would continue to serve the residents of state in the future also. The Chief Minister said that he was fully satisfied while serving the people of state and do not have any desire to move to centre even to assume any bigger responsibility.The Chief Minister further said that the state government was duty bound to solve the chronic problem of choked sewerage system in the city for which a comprehensive plan would be chalked out in the coming days.
Badal said that he had already deputed a high level team of the officers to look into the matter adding that a team of engineering experts would soon conduct complete survey of the city to find some viable solution for this problem. He also impressed upon the people to give fulsome support and cooperation to the team of officers and engineers to sort out this problem. Dwelling on another issue, the Chief Minister said that the Sub pision hospital of the city would also be developed into an ultra modern hospital equipped with state-of-the art medical facilities, which would be available to the patients round the clock. He said that the best Doctors would be deployed in the hospital to provide quality treatment to the patients and soon a blood blank would also be established in it. Mr. Badal also announced that the hospital would also be provided an Ambulance van for facilitating the patients. Earlier striking an emotional chord with the people, the Chief Minister, while recalling the age old ties of his family with the city, said that his wife late Bibi Surinder Kaur Badal had special affection for the city.
Badal said that the city has special place in his heart and he respected the people of Malout because they had stood by his family in every thick and thin. The Chief Minister further said that he was committed to develop Malout as a ‘Model city’ to fulfill the aspirations of late Bibi Badal.The Chief Minister was accompanied by Lok Sabha MP Mr. Sher Singh Ghubaya, MLA Mr. Harpreet Singh Kotbhai, Chairman Punjab Agro Foodgrains Corporation Jathedar Dyaal Singh Kolianwali, Chairman PUNCOFED Mr. Kulwinder Singh Bhai Ka Kera, Chairman District Planning Committee Sri Muktsar Sahib Mr. Hardeep Singh Dimpi Dhillon, his Special Principal Secretary Mr. Gurkirat Kirpal Singh, Managing Director Punjab Health System Corporation Mr. Hussan Lal, Deputy Commissioner Mr. Paramjit Singh, Deputy Inspector Geenral of Police Mr. Amar Singh Chahal and Sub pisional Magistrate Mr. Kumar Amit.