Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee President Capt Amarinder Singh today warned that President’s rule can always be possible in Punjab. He said, the state was heading towards financial emergency and law and order was deteriorating day by day and even policemen were not feeling safe.Addressing an impressive rally organised on the occasion of Maghi Mela here today, Capt Amarinder asked the Akalis that not to take it for granted that they will be there for another four years. He said, the law and order situation in the state was deteriorating and finances were in a mess. He said, under these circumstances President’s rule cannot be ruled out.
The PCC President blamed the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal for the mess saying he was to be blamed since he was at the helm of affairs. He said, while the revenue minister and youth Akali Dal president Bikram Majithia was indeed to be blamed for the goonda-raj in Punjab, it was actually Mr Badal’s responsibility to tame him and rein him in. “If Badal wants he can rein them all”, he remarked.
Capt Amarinder also ridiculed Mr Badal’s claims of having spent 17 years in jail. He disclosed that once Mr Badal had been lodged in a holiday home in Deradun where he had all the luxuries of life. He alleged that Badal deliberately provoked people and then got himself jailed and lodged in some good guest house. Once the situation got normal he would come out and claim that he suffered so much in jail, which was not the case, he alleged.
The PCC President appealed the Congress leaders and workers to get united for the Moga byelection saying it was a golden chance for teaching the Akalis a lesson. He said, he will be himself camping at Moga during the byelection to mark the beginning of the end of the Akali rule.
Addressing the rally former Chief Minister Ms Rajinder Kaur Bhattal exhorted upon the party workers to fight against the Akalis. She said, the Congress leaders had a history of sacrifices and they had fought against all odds.
The Congress Legislative Party Leader Sunil Jakhar lashed out at the Chief Minister for betraying the farmers. He said, despite claiming himself to be the guardian of farmers he had let them down. He disclosed that before the elections Mr Badal had provided free tubewell connections to farmers with less than five acres of land and now these connections were being withdrawn.Congress Working Committee member Jagmeet Brar accused the Badals of having betrayed the people of Punjab. He said, it was shocking that the Badals had never demanded any train service for Punjab to watch and safeguard their own transport interests in the state.
Prominent among those present on the occasion included Union Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal, Rana Sodhi, Kikki Dhillon, Ms Karan Brar, Raja Warring, Gurdas Girdhar, Parminder Pinky, Ajaib Singh Bhatti, Ajit Inder Singh Mofar, Joginder Panjgraian, Sukhjinder Randhawa, Mohammad Sadiq, Ajit Shant, Gurpreet Kangar, Sukhwinder Singh Danny, Sardool Singh and others.