Batting for far more stringent provisions of anti-defection law, the Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said that it was the need of the hour to curb the mounting tendency of shifting allegiance from one party to another for satiating the lust for power.Interacting with the media persons on the sidelines of Sangat Darshan program in Kartarpur assembly segment here today, the Chief Minister said that it was unfortunate that for the sake of power the ‘turncoats’ were changing their political affiliations with every passing day. He said that this was a disgusting trend which needs to be checked through strict anti-defection law, so that mockery of democracy could be avoided. Mr. Badal said that through sheer display of ‘politics of opportunism’ these fugitives not only backstab their mother party but show grave disrespect to the mandate of the people.The Chief Minister exhorted the people to teach the defectors a lesson by rejecting them in electoral race. He said that the voters were supreme as they could teach a lesson to the opportunist leaders by showing them door during the polls. Mr. Badal also urged the political parties to give a second thought while accepting turncoats from other parties.The Chief Minister further said that shifting of political parties by any individual hardly has any bearing on the polity of the state. He said that people of the state were wise enough to exercise their franchise as per principle rather than on the basis of caste or religion.
Mr. Badal said that those leaders who backstab their mother party could never succeed in public life as the people don’t rely on them.On another query, the Chief Minister said that the state government has witnessed unprecedented development in every sphere during the tenure of SAD-BJP alliance. Mr. Badal said that besides giving a further fillip to the ongoing development of the state, the alliance government has also laid major thrust on the pro-poor schemes for ensuring well being of every strata of society.Reiterating that it was bounden duty of the state government to preserve our rich cultural heritage for the future generations till eternity, the Chief Minister said that SAD-BJP government has undertook momentous task to preserve the glorious cultural heritage of Punjab through state-of-the-art memorials and monuments. He said that the construction of Chotta and Wada Ghallughara Memorials, Baba Banda Singh War Memorial, State War Heroes Memorial & Museum, Jang-E-Azadi Memorial, Guru Ravidass Ji Memorial and Bhagwan Valmiki Ji Tirath Sthal was a right step in this direction. Mr. Badal said that concerted efforts of the state government in this regard, were to perpetuate the glorious and rich legacy of our great culture especially amongst the younger generations so as to enable them to connect with their roots.Earlier addressing the public gatherings at village Naugajja, Kandhala Guru and Kartarpur, the Chief Minister said that Sangat Darshan was a flagship program of his government from the first day ever since he assumed the office. He said that this pro-people program finds no parallel across the country as no other Chief Minister bothers to spare so much time for the people by solving their problems at their doorsteps.
Mr. Badal said that this program helps in quick resolution of public problems on one hand besides adjudging the performance of the government officers/ officials on the other.Listing the major initiatives taken by the state government, the Chief Minister said that the SAD-BJP alliance government has supplied free power to the farmers of the state at a cost of Rs 5000 crore annually in last ten years to bail them out from agrarian crisis. He further said that Punjab was the only state in the country to provide Atta-Dal scheme to the weaker sections adding that it was also the only state to ensure free treatment for fatal diseases like Cancer and Hepatitis C. Mr. Badal said that the state government has started first of its kind scheme to provide interest free crop loans worth Rs 50000 to the farmers besides providing Health Insurance to people under Bhagat Puran Singh Sehat Beema Yojna.The Chief Minister was accompanied by Akali leaders Seth Satpal Mall, Jathedar Ranjit Singh Kahlon, Jathedar Rajinder Singh Nagra, his Special Principal Secretary Mr. KJS Cheema, Deputy Inspector General of Police Mr. SK Kalia, Deputy Commissioner Mr. KK Yadav and Senior Superintendent of Police Mr. Harmohan Singh.