Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said that ridiculous statement of Union Defence Minister Mr. AK Antony on the killing of five Army Jawans in Poonch Sector of Jammu and Kashmir, reflected the non-seriousness of the Congress led UPA government in dealing with the sensitive matters.Talking to the media persons on the sidelines of Sangat Darshan program of the Gidderbaha Assembly segment here today, the Chief Minister said that the unfortunate statement of Union Defence Minister on this emotive issue has shown that the UPA government was least bothered about the internal and external security of the country, due to which the sovereignty of the nation was in jeopardy. He said that the Union government should have acted toughly after the killing of five jawans but by issuing such irrational statements, the UPA government has made the mockery of the martyrs, who had laid down their lives while safeguarding the borders of the country. Mr. Badal said that countrymen would never forgive the UPA government for this blunder and they would teach a befitting lesson to these people in the coming Lok Sabha polls.
Replying to another query, the Chief Minister said that the wise voters of the country were waiting for the General elections slated to be held in year 2014 to rout the Congress out from centre. He said that the UPA government has failed on all the fronts due to which the people were fed up from their ‘misrule’. Mr. Badal said that it was writing on the wall that NDA, of which Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) was a key ally, would form the next government at the centre.
Earlier addressing the mammoth gatherings at villages Chotiyaan, Sahib Chand, Chattiana, Bhlaiaana, Kotli Ablu, Buttar Sarinh, Mallan and Sukhna Ablu, the Chief Minister said that the main aim of holding the Sangat Darshan program was to mitigate the problems of people by virtually bringing the government at their doorsteps. He said that there was no political motive in holding this program and the sole objective of it was to ensure the well being of the general public. The Chief Minister said that the SAD-BJP government was committed for the overall welfare of the state and no discrimination of any sort was being made with any constituency. Exhorting the Congress leaders to shun the politics of confrontation for scoring brownie points before media, Mr. Badal said that in the larger interests of the public the Congress party must support the state government for ensuring the well being of Punjab. Like Congress we have no faith in politics of vendetta and our only target is to ensure the holistic development of state, he added.
Taking a dig on former Finance Minister Mr. Manpreet Singh Badal, the Chief Minister said that by playing in the hands of Congress, the PPP leader has not only betrayed the SAD but the people of state also. Mr. Badal said that the Congress has always resorted to such ‘dirty tactics’ of promoting someone from the Badal clan against them for fulfilling its political interests, but it has miserably failed in such endeavors. He said that people like Manpreet, who were used for such nefarious purposes, were later shunned by the Congress party after using them, due to which they had gone to political oblivion.
The Chief Minister also called upon the people in villages to rise above the parochial considerations of caste, creed, religion, color and others to ensure the comprehensive development of villages. Mr. Badal urged them to join the campaign of state government for making a clean and green Punjab by planting more and more number of trees. He said that during the Sangat Darshan program they were distributing 500 saplings in every village to widen the green cover in the state.
Reiterating the commitment of the state government to provide free power to farmers of Punjab, the Chief Minister said that by bearing the additional burden of Rs 5000 crore every year the state government was humbly doing its duty for their valuable contribution in making country self reliant in food production. Slamming the Congress led UPA government for breaking the backbone of the farmers, Mr. Badal said that due to the escalating hike in cost of farming operations and the non-remunerative MSP, the peasantry of the state was crossroads. If the state government had not given the facility of free power to farmers then they would have been completely ruined, he added.
Honoring two girls of village Bhaliaana for securing more than 80% marks in matriculation exams, the Chief Minister said that that in order to tap the hidden potential amongst the bright students of the rural areas, the state government was laying special emphasis on strengthening rural education system. He said that ‘Special Schools’ were being opened in six districts of the state to impart quality education to students securing 80% of more marks at Matric level in the Government schools. Mr. Badal also said that these students would be provided free professional education along with boarding and lodging facility to enable them to compete with their convent educated peers. Likewise the Chief Minister said that under Dr. Hargobind Khurana scholarship scheme Rs 2500 per month would be given to such meritorious students for carrying out study at senior secondary level.
On the occasion, the Chief Minister also felicitated 256 Akali workers and their kin, who were lodged in jails during the various agitations of SAD. Mr. Badal said that these workers and families have suffered many hardships for the cause of the party and it was the moral duty of the SAD to honor them for this supreme sacrifice. The Chief Minister was accompanied by Lok Sabha MP from Faridkot Mrs. Paramjeet Kaur Gulshan, senior Akali leaders Mr. Hardeep Singh Dimpi Dhillon and Mr. Sant Singh Brar, SGPC members Jathedar Navtej Singh Kauni and Jathedar Kirpal Singh Gora, Special Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Mr. KJS Cheema and Deputy Commissioner Mr. Paramjeet Singh.