Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today dared the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee Chief Capt. Amarinder Singh not to befool innocent people of Punjab anymore by making false promises just to capture power by hook and crook.Addressing the public gatherings at both these places during his Sangat Darshan program, the Chief Minister also warned the people that anyone who sides with Congress would be acknowledging the atrocities unleashed on Punjabis in general and especially the Sikhs by way of attacking Sri Harmandir Sahib and Takhat Sri Akal Takhat Sahib at Amritsar at the behest of the then Prime Minister Smt. Indira Gandhi. The unending story of injustice and tyranny perpetrated by Congress leadership still echoes in the tormented psyche of Sikhs particularly the victims of 1984 genocide, who have been eluded justice still after a long period of 32 years. The irresponsible and unpardonable utterances by the then Prime Minister Late Rajiv Gandhi on the thousands of killings of innocent Sikhs during the aftermath of Mrs. Gandhi’s assassination justifying the holocaust by quoting, “When a big tree is uprooted, the earth shakes”.
In a frontal attack on the Congress leadership for betraying Punjab and Punjabis just to satiate their lust for power, the Chief Minister said that Capt. Amarinder Singh who was now trying to become a martyr by smearing blood on his little finger and showing lip sympathy with the people on the SYL issue, was the prime conspirator along with the then Congress high Command and Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi, who performed the ground breaking ceremony of SYL at village Kapoori in Punjab way back in 1982. On the contrary, the Akali Dal from day one vehemently opposed the construction of SYL by launching state wide morchas and till today he said, “We have consistently maintained the same stand on this contentious issue and I reiterate that we don’t have a singly drop of water to share with anyone and what was within our jurisdiction, we did the best within the legal framework and even de-notified the land acquired for SYL and returned the same to the original owners and their lineal descendants”.
The Chief Minister asked the people to beware of the dubious moves of the Congress party, who were making every last ditch effort to capture power by emotionally blackmailing the masses. He categorically said Congress leadership was not at all sincere to the core from their hearts for the welfare of Punjab and Punjabis rather their sole objective was to pursue their vested interests thereby at last duping and dumping the people.Talking to the news persons on the sidelines of Sangat Darshan at Morinda, the Chief Minister categorically refuted the media reports that the SAD leaders who have changed sides by joining Congress keeping an eye on the electoral prospects in the forth coming assembly polls would hardly make any dent on our party’s winability. Taking a jibe at these turn coats, Mr. Badal said that such leaders were least sincere to their party and anyone who was denied party ticket, waste no time in shifting his or her loyalty to the other parties. Without mincing any words, Mr. Badal said that these turncoats from Akali Dal would be politically doomed forever.
Eulogizing the supreme sacrifice of tenth master of Sikhs Sri Guru Gobind Singh ji’s family, Mr. Badal said the every inch of land in this region was highly sacred and our government had already decided to convert the original route, from where Guru ji’s four Sahibzadas along with his mother Mata Gujri ji led by their servant Gangu left Sri Anandpur Sahib to Sri Fatehgarh Sahib, where two younger Sahibzadas Baba Zorawar Singh ji and Baba Fateh Singh ji attained martyrdom, into ‘Safar-e-Shahadat’ at the cost of Rs. 16 crore.
Responding to the demand raised by the Akali candidate from Chamkaur Sahib Assembly segment Justice (retd.) Nirmal Singh, the Chief Minister announced to up-grade Morinda sub-tehsil as Sub Division and assured that a final call in this regard would be taken in the next Cabinet meeting slated to be held within a week. He also announced the up-gradation of Government High School in Mane Majra village in Chamkaur Sahib as Senior Secondary School and agreed to re-name the Government Dairy Training Institute at Chitamali after the legendary Sikh warrior Sardar Jassa Singh Ramgarhia. Apart from this, he also handed over a cheque of Rs. 10 crore for the development works in rural areas of Chamkaur Sahib assembly constituency and Rs. 1.5 crore each for Nagar Council Morinda and Nagar Panchayat Sri Chamkaur Sahib respectively besides Rs. 20 lac for the repair and up-keep of the dilapidated building of Government High School Morinda, which has been declared unsafe.
Earlier, Mr. Badal also laid the foundation stone of the strengthening and re-carpeting of 16.5 KM stretch of Morinda-Chunni Road at a cost of Rs. 40 crore to be completed within 15 months. In recognition with the enormous contribution of veteran Akali leader Bibi Satwant Sandhu and her family to strengthen the party and ensuring overall development of the Sri Chamkaur Sahib Assembly segment, Mr. Badal declared to nominate her as the senior Vice-President of Shiromani Akali Dal. Prominent amongst others who were present on the occasion included Cabinet Minister Dr. Daljeet Singh Cheema, Member Parliament Sri Anandpur Sahib Prof. Prem Singh Chandumajra, MLA Justice (Retd.) Nirmal Singh, Veteran Akali leader Bibi Satwant Sandhu, former MLA Morinda Jathedar Ujagar Singh Badali, BJP District President Rupnagar Mr. Yogesh Sood, District President SAD Mr. Mohan Singh Dhaheh, SGPC member Mr. Ajmer Singh Khera, DC Rupnagar Mr. Karnesh Sharma, DC Mohali Mr. DS Mangat, DIG Mr. GS Sandhu and SSP Rupnagar Mr. Virender Singh.