Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today dared the Congress leaders to list out any single contribution of their party towards the development of the state ever since independence.Addressing the mammoth gathering during the Shiromani Akali Dal’s (SAD) conference here on Rakhar Punia, the Chief Minister said that it was on record that the Congress has always done grave injustice to the state by adopting anti-Punjab stance. He said that due to the wrong policies of the successive Congress governments at the centre the industry and agriculture of the state has been ruined. Mr. Badal said that not only this but the Congress has inflicted deep wound on Sikh psyche by unnecessarily meddling in our social, political, economic and religious matters. “We have been wrongfully deprived of our capital, legitimate share in river waters and Punjabi speaking areas by the Congress” he added.
The Chief Minister said that hard working and resilient farmers of Punjab had exploited their natural resources to make the country self reliant in food production. Likewise he said that the brave Punjabis have made immense contribution in the national freedom struggle besides safeguarding the borders of the nation. However Mr. Badal said that instead of recognizing the contribution of Punjabis, the Congress has always derailed the development process in the state.
Coming down heavily on the Congress led UPA government, the Chief Minister said that the Food security Act of the union government was nothing more than a political gimmick adding that the Congress was not at all serious for passing it. He said that if the Congress was really worried about poor then there was hardly any need for bringing this act in Parliament as the SAD-BJP government had already initiated Atta-Dal scheme by a single executive order. Mr. Badal said that it was unfortunate that due to wrong policies of Congress even more than six decades of our independence people were not able to get two square of meal for them.
Comparing the Congress with a parasite plant ‘Amarvel’, the Chief Minister said that the wrong policies of the Congress have ruined the country. He said that the Congress has remained at the helms of the affairs of country for around six decades but it had miserably failed to solve the problems of the countrymen. Mr. Badal said that rather than ensuring progress of the country every step of the Congress has ruined the country.The Chief Minister said that the country was on the verge of a grave situation as the Congress has failed in giving internal and external security to the country. He said that due to the diplomatic failure of UPA government almost all the neighbouring countries of India have adopted a hostile attitude towards it. Mr. Badal said that as China and Pakistan were constantly violating the border treaties so India was no longer a safe country. He also said that internally the problems like Naxalism and terrorism had weakened the country to a great extent. The Chief Minister said that due to the poor economic condition of country, our prestige across the globe has touched the lowest ebb. He said that ever increasing inflation has resulted in the manifold hike in the prices of the basic commodities, which has increased the pangs of common man. Likewise Mr. Badal said that corruption and unemployment were also ruling the roost in the country which was hindering the progress of country despite of huge manpower and bounty of natural resources.
The Chief Minister said that it was writing on the wall that the NDA would form the next government at the centre adding that in the next Rakhar Punia conference the Prime Minister of NDA would attend the conference. He said that in that conference all the pending issues of the state would be resolved from the Union government. “All of us must pledge from this sacred land to oust the Congress from power at the centre” Mr. Badal added.The Chief Minister, while greeting the people on Rakhar Punia, said that land of Baba Bakala was a pious land for the Sikhism and humanity. He said that this land of Sri Guru Teg Bahadur Sahib was highly revered not only by the Sikhs but by all the strata of society. Mr. Badal said that Guru Sahib had taught us to fight against tyraany, injustice and oppression due to which the Punjabis had played a pivotal role in freedom struggle and later preserving the borders of country besides ensuring food security to the country. He said that not only this we had upheld of the ethos of democracy by protesting against the Emergency imposed by the then Congress government 1975.
The Chief Minister said that complete transformation of Punjab was on cards and the SAD-BJP government has already approved Rs 1700 crore for repair and upgradation of rural road network in the state. In the same manner he said that Special Schools were being opened from next academic session to impart professional education to meritorious students securing 80% or more marks in government schools. Likewise Mr. Badal said that Dr. Hargobind Khurana post matric scholarship scheme has been initiated under which scholarship worth Rs 30000 per annum would be given to the bright students.
In his address President of Youth Akali Dal and Information & Public Relations Minister Mr. Bikram Singh Majithia said that the history would remember the Congress led UPA government as the most corrupt government of the Indian polity. He said that the corrupt Congress leaders have amassed huge wealth by ruthlessly plundering the public money adding that in just nine years of their regime the Congress leaders have surpassed the figures of loot done by Britishers in 250 years of their rule in India. Mr. Majithia said that it was shameful that the Congress Chief Ministers and Union Ministers had gone out of the way to oblige Robert Vadra, the son in law of Mrs Sonia Gandhi, to acquire huge property in various states.
Accepting the challenge posed by Congress leaders to have an open debate, the Cabinet Minister said that he was ready to have debate with Prime Minister or Mrs Sonia Gandhi as to why the national economy has regressed in their rule while the growth rate of Punjab has accelerated at the same time during the SAD-BJP regime. Likewise Mr. Majithia said that he was ready to debate why the Union has meted out step motherly treatment with Punjab despite of huge contribution made by Punjabis towards the country. Making a scathing attack on the state Congress leadership, he said that Mr. Partap Singh Bajwa and his team owes an answer to the people of Punjab that why they had never uttered a single word to safeguard the interests of Punjabis or to bring any major project for the development of the state.
Rapping the state Congress President, the Minister said that rather than having a photo session with the victims of the flood affected regions, Mr. Bajwa should have asked his high command to give relief to the flood victims on the pattern of given to the Congress ruled other states. However he said that Mr. Bajwa and other Congress leaders were misleading the people by shedding crocodile tears on the issues of people whereas in reality they were least bothered in solving them. Mr. Majithia also said that the performance of all the Union Ministers and MPs of Congress from Punjab was lackluster as they had remained mute spectators to injustice with the state. On the other hand, Mr. Majithia said that despite of limited funds available with them the state government was making all out efforts to serve all the sections of the people. He said that while the Congress has given inflation, the SAD-BJP government under Mr. Badal had given subsidized food grains to people through the Atta-Dal scheme. Likewise the Minister said that at a time when the farming was facing huge crisis, the state government was giving free power to them for baling them out.
Mr. Majithia said that the real and anti-people face of the Congress has been exposed before the people due to which the Congress would not be able to cross the mark of 100 seats in the coming Lok Sabha polls. Urging the people to rout the Congress from the centre, he said that after the constitution of NDA government impetus would be given to development of the state.Prominent amongst those present on the occasion included Cabinet Ministers Mr. Gulzar Singh Ranike and Mr. Anil Joshi, Lok Sabha MP Dr. Rattan Singh Ajnala, state President of BJP Mr. Kamal Sharma, Chief Parliamentary Secretaries Mr. Inderbir Singh Bularia and Mr. Harmeet Singh Sandhu, MLAs Bibi Jagir Kaur, Mr. Manjeet Singh Manna and Mr. Baljeet Singh Jalal Usma besides several members of SGPC and leaders of SAD-BJP.