Punjab Congress leaders today declared a war on drugs and Akalis and unanimously resolved to throw out the Akali-BJP government in the state as it had damaged and devastated Punjab beyond redemption. The sentiment was summed up best by the PCC president Capt Amarinder, saying, “I want to see the sparkling smile back on every Punjabi’s face”,The party leaders in one voice held Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia responsible for spreading the scourge of drugs in the state and destroying an entire generation, for which they said, he deserved to be sent to jail.Leading the charge, the PCC president Capt Amarinder Singh promised that once the Congress forms government in the state, he will set Majithia right as he was responsible for destroying and devastating an entire generation. “One generation is already lost and we have to save the next generation”, he said.Addressing a huge rally, that was attended by over fifty thousand people and was the largest of all the political conference held today, the PCC president reiterated his promise that he will finish the problem of drugs within four weeks. He said, he will set up a special team of highly competent officers for the purpose and expressed confidence that the guilty will be jailed before four weeks.
The former Chief Minister said, not only had the Badals and Majithia pushed the state into drugs, they have also destroyed it economically, while pointing out to 1.25 lakh crore debts that state owes. He said, the Badals had made accumulation of personal wealth as their fulltime job. Be it hotels, transport, cable, sand mining, liquor trade and any other profit making venture, they have grabbed everything.Capt Amarinder said, it is for these personal and vested interests that the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal was compromising Punjab’s interests whether on the SYL or Chandigarh. He said, thanks to the deliberate delay by Badal in sending the SYL bill that was unanimously passed in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha with Congress support, to the Governor, Haryana got four crucial days to approach the Supreme Court. He said, Badal had done the same thing in 1978 to please his friend and then Haryana Chief Minister Devi Lal.The PCC president also cautioned people against the designs and machinations of Mr Badal in sabotaging peace in Punjab and polarising people along religious lines. He said, the recent attack on an RSS leader, preceded by an attack on Sant Ranjit Singh Dhadarianwale and the incidents of sacrilege before that, all were aimed at polarising people as Mr Badal believed it suited him. He warned Mr Badal against playing this “dirty and dangerous” game for his pity vested interests.
Capt Amarinder cautioned people against the misleading and alluring promises made by the Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab. He said, the AAP was declining fast in Punjab as it did not have any leader, any ideology and any programme to rally people around. He also referred to the charges leveled by the AAP National Council member Pavitar Singh yesterday wherein he revealed that he was asked to pay Rs 50 lakhs for the party ticket, while the actual rate was Rs 2.5 crores. “Can you expect a clean government from those who have started selling tickets?” he asked.Addressing the rally AICC Secretary in charge for Punjab Ms Asha Kumari said, the Akali-BJP government had created a total mess and it was in the interest of Punjab and its people to throw this government out and bring back Congress. She said, only the Congress can retrieve the state from the mess it is under.Speaking on the occasion the PCC Campaign Committee chairperson said, everybody needed to strengthen the hands of Capt Amarinder to ensure that Congress came back to power. She expressed satisfaction over the massive show of strength put up by the Congress party today. She also cautioned people against the AAP saying that they will further destroy Punjab.
Lashing out at the Akalis, former Chief Minister Ms Rajinder Kaur Bhattal questioned the intriguing silence of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on crucial issues concerning the state. She cautioned people to make a careful choice in the elections lest Punjab deteriorates into further anarchy. She also took a dig at union minister Ms Harsimrat Kaur Badal, saying while she was tying Rakhi on the wrists of BSF personnel, Prime Minister Modi gave her the Rakhi gift by appointing an independent administrator for Chandigarh.Former PCC president Partap Singh Bajwa, promised that he will ensure that Bikram Majithia is put behind bars after Congress forms the government in the state. He said, he will resign from all the party posts in case Majithia was not jailed. He also promised that the Congress will bring in a farmer-friendly manifesto and he was already working on that.Prominent among those present included AICC secretary Harish Chaudhry, Ms Mamta Dutta, Manpreet Badal, OP Soni, Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Sukhjinder Randhawa, Sukh Sarkaria, Navtej Cheema, Harpartap Singh Ajnala, Parminder Singh Pinky, Laly Majithia, Gurjeet Aujla, Jasbir Singh Dimpa, who had organised the rally, Ranjit Singh Chhajjalwadi, Sukhpal Bhullar and others.