Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said that the ‘tug of war’ in the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has exposed the lust of power amongst its leadership in the state.Interacting with the media persons here on the sidelines of Sangat Darshan program in Baba Bakala assembly segment here today, the Chief Minister said that there was hardly any parallel in Indian polity when the top leadership of the party has been accused of indulging in corrupt practices that too for the sake of party tickets. He categorically said that selling of tickets was not the job of political leaders or parties adding that this reflects that the entire ‘civil war’ was just aimed at defaming each other to acquire the control of party. Mr. Badal said that Punjabis were watching this power struggle amongst the AAP leaders, that has torn out the party into pieces, just for yearn of power. “It is really shameful as it does not behove of any political party or leader to act in such irresponsible manner” he added.
On another query, the Chief Minister said that there was no competition of SAD-BJP alliance in the state in the upcoming assembly polls and the alliance was all set to form government in the state for third successive term. He said that the people of state were with the alliance due to its pro-people and growth oriented policies. Mr. Badal said that due to such policies the alliance would form government for the third term in the state.The Chief Minister reiterated that the SAD-BJP alliance was firm and everlasting adding that alliance would contest the elections together. He said that till yet no meeting on seat sharing has taken place and the alliance partners would take a call on it at suitable time. Likewise, Mr. Badal said that Shiromani Akali Dal would also announce its candidates at appropriate for the ensuing state assembly polls in 2017. “We will fight the upcoming elections on the plank of overall development, peace and communal harmony in the state” he added. Replying to another query, the Chief Minister said that the financial condition of state was very sound and the state Congress Chief Captain Amarinder Singh should stop defaming the state by issuing baseless statements. He said that the fact that several thousand crores Rupees were being spent on development projects in the state along reflects that the fiscal health of state was very good. Mr. Badal said that he had distributed more grants for development during Sangat Darshan in villages during last five months than what Captain has disbursed in his tenure as Chief Minister for five years.Taking Captain to cudgels, the Chief Minister said that the Lok Sabha MP from Amritsar was misleading the people even on issue of debt waiver of farmers. He said that Captain was well aware of the fact that state governments could hardly do anything regarding debts by banks but just for the sake of attaining power he was making false promises to the people.
Terming the SAD-BJP alliance as the only pro-farmer government in the country, the Chief Minister said that the state government was providing free power worth Rs 5000 crore to the farmers every year. He said that in a unique initiative the state government has now decided to extend Rs 50000 interest free crop loan to the farmers. Mr. Badal said that the state government has also initiated several pro-people schemes like Atta-Dal, Shagun, Bhagat Puran Sehat Beema Yojna and others to benefit the people.Earlier addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister, while slamming the Congress party, said that Congress has irrelevantly meddled in the social, political, economic and even religious affairs of the state. He further bemoaned that the Congress governments at the centre had deliberately denied the state of Punjabi speaking areas, its capital Chandigarh and even its legitimate share in river waters. Mr. Badal further said that Congress party was the perpetrator of a deep rooted conspiracy to deprive the state of its waters by constructing the Satluj Yamuna Link (SYL) canal. The Chief Minister said that AAP was also following the Congress by resorting to anti-Punjab stance. He said that the hostile stand taken by AAP government in Delhi on SYL case in Apex court has exposed that these people have no sympathy for Punjab or its people. “They are merely here to plunder Punjab and don’t expect anything good from them” added Mr. Badal.The Chief Minister was accompanied by MLA Mr. Manjit Singh Mianwind, his Joint Special Principal Secretary Mr. Kumar Amit, Deputy Commissioner Mr. BS Dhaliwal, Deputy Inspector General of Police Mr. AK Mittal and Senior Superintendent of Police Mr. Manmohan Sharma.