Five-time Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal said here today that Captain Amarinder Singh’s allegations against him on Behbal Kalaan were “a clear attempt to divert attention from people’s mounting anger against the utter failures of the Congress government to deliver on its promises to the people. Captain Singh’s statement also exposes the real truth behind his claims that he was not following a policy of vendetta against his political opponents,” said the former CM.Badal also ridiculed Captain Singh for acting as the spokesman of the Commission of Inquiry on Behbal Kalaan incident. “Perhaps, you are not aware that you are the first Chief Minister to function as a spokesperson of a Commission of Inquiry set by you. What kind of inquiry will it be when the CM has already announced its findings. And if you are the final judge in everything, then why are you even wasting precious public money on setting up these commissions to inquire into the same allegations to arrive at the same conclusions?” Mr Badal asked Captain Singh.Badal also rubbished the CM’s charge that it is the Chief Minister and not the police officer on the spot who has to order firing at any incident, such as the one at Behbal Kalaan.
“Captain Singh needs to know that the CM of the state is not a thanedar or an SSP to decide on how the force under the officer’s command should react to a specific situation on the spot. It is the officer concerned who assess the situation and decides on the course of action to be adopted and issue orders, that too only after following correct administrative procedures. If the Chief Minister has to order the action , then what would be the role of the officer on the spot? asked Mr Badal.The former Chief Minister said that Captain Amarinder Singh was acting as the accuser, the prosecution and the judiciary all by himself. “This reveals the mindset of the Congress party and its governments which have no faith in the rule of law nor any regard for legal and constitutional norms and procedures,” said the former CM.
Mr. Badal also ridiculed the Chief Minister’s claim that one lakh false cases were registered against Congress workers during the Akali-BJP government. He said that during his tenure as CM , he had dared the Congress in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha to submit a list of 35000 alleged false cases against Congress workers. “They had come up with less than two dozen cases. I got each one of these allegations inquired into and had even submitted the findings before the Assembly. The Congress leaders then had no answer to the facts presented by me. Now, suddenly, this number of less than two dozen has swelled to exactly one lakh – not one less, nor one more than this catchy round figure. And on this also, the CM has announced the verdict even before the Commission set by him has to complete its work.” “With the CM’s announcements today on behalf of the Commission both on Behbal Kalaan and the false cases, the cat is out of the bag also on the real political motives behind these sham inquiries,” said Mr Badal.