Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today lambasted at the Congress and AAP for misleading the people of the state to pursue their vested interests and hidden agenda with the sole aim to rule the masses rather serving them earnestly.Addressing a massive public gathering here on the auspicious occasion of Rakhar Punneya, Mr. Badal said that the leaders of both these parties were opportunists and generally come out in the election season as most of the time they undergo hibernation. On the contrary, Shiromani Akali Dal was the party with rich legacy to safeguard the interests of farmers and the downtrodden as both these significant sections of the society have been ever blatantly ignored by these parties for their narrow interests. He reminded the people how the SAD-BJP ruling alliance offered free power to the farmers despite severe criticism from Center, adding he said it was on the record when Captain Amarinder Singh's government came into power in 2002, he withdrew this concession from the farmers as first and foremost action, which spoke volumes of insensitivity and apathy towards the farming community.
He accused the Congress for perpetrating 1984 riots against Sikhs and attacking Sri Harmandir Sahib besides frequently interfering in the religious matters of the Sikhs. Mr. Badal categorically said that Punjabis could never forget the discrimination meted out to Punjab during Congress regime at center be it religious, economic and political issues. "Everybody knew how the congress deprived Punjab of its legitimate rights like transfer of Chandigarh and Punjabi speaking areas to the state and sharing of river waters on Riparian principles" asserted Mr. Badal. He said it was time tested that Congress could never be sincere and honest with Punjab and its people because they believed in the policy of divide and rule.The Chief Minister cautioned the people to beware of nefarious designs of Congress and AAP as both were engrossed in intense infighting on the issue of leadership unlike the Akali party which was united like rock and capable of giving a strong and stable government to ensure overall development and welfare of its people in future.
Making a dig at Aam Aadmi Party, Mr. Badal said it had been able to exploit the sentiments of the people by showing mirage to them and dared its leadership that one can befool the people once but not for all times to come. He said this one year old party in Punjab was heading swiftly towards its decay as its leaders in the state were at loggerheads on the issue of leadership. Mr. Badal also mentioned that top Congress leadership in the state was also sailing in the same boat as Captain, Bajwa and Bhattal were at daggers drawn to eliminate each other from the political scene for their own survival. Mr. Badal outlined remarkable progress achieved by the state government in different fields-be it Agriculture, Industry, Infrastructure, Education, Helathcare, IT adding he said Punjab has become power surplus state in the country and thus have been awarded the best performing state in Power sector.With the BJP led NDA government coming to power at center, Mr. Badal said that Punjab stands benefited enormously from its benevolence as it has already given gifts like AIIMS, IIM, Heritage status to Amritsar, including Amritsar, Jalandhar and Ludhiana as Smart Cities and World Heritage Park status to legendary monument of Jallianwala Bagh and Horticulture Research Institute of Excellence at Amritsar.
Criticising the Congress leadership especially Mr. Bajwa for playing to gallery on the issue of Sugarcane crisis, Mr. Badal announced that the entire issue with regard to the payment of sugar cane arrears due towards the owners of the private sugar mills and ensuring smooth operations in crushing season would be resolved amicably to the satisfactions of the farmers and the owners of the mills within a week. He asked the congressmen to resist from blowing this issue out of proportion as the state government was fully seized of the situation and concerted efforts were made to find out a viable solution.Highly appreciating the indomitable spirit of Punjabis of gallantry, courage and valour, the Chief Minister said that they had inherited the spirit of self sacrifice and patriotism from Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji, Sri Guru Arjun Dev ji, Sri Guru Teg Bahadur ji and Sri Guru Gobind Singh ji, who had waged a relentless battle against injustice, tyranny and oppression to safeguard the human rights of the innocent and helpless people. He said that despite of their small population in the country the Punjabis have played a vanguard role in defending the borders of country besides making country self sufficient in food production. He commended the people of Punjab for maintaining communal harmony, peace and amity in the state adding he said that these factors were all the more important to ensure all round development and prosperity in the state.
The Chief Minister further said that the state government has taken a number of initiatives to preserve the rich cultural heritage of state by constructing a number of memorials across the state. He said the SAD-BJP government in consonance with this ideology has already constructed state of art Virasat-e-Khalsa memorial at Sri Anandpur Sahib, memorials of big and small holocaust in Kup Rahira and Kahnuwan respectively and Baba Banda Singh Bahadur War memorial at Chappar Chiri. Likewise, Mr. Badal said that Jang-e-Azaadi memorial at Kartarpur near Jalandhar being constructed to showcase unparalleled role of Punjabis in the national freedom struggle adding that state-of-the-art War Heroes' Memorial cum Museum was being constructed at Amritsar over seven acres of land on the Amritsar-Attari Road, to recognize and showcase the supreme sacrifices made by the Punjabi soldiers while serving in the Armed forces thereby upholding their supreme gallantry values.
Speaking on the occasion, Punjab Revenue and Public Relations Minister Mr. Bikram Singh Singh Majithia termed the Dharnas staged by Congress President Mr. Partap Singh Bajwa as political gimmick and fraud to emotionally blackmail the farmers whereas his sole objective was to keep his political position intact. "Had he been sincere in his approach, he would have staged these dharnas outside sugarmills within the vicinity of Gurdaspur district instead of launching these agitations in Nawan Shahr" quipped Mr. Majithia. The Cabinet Minister said that Mr. Bajwa knew it very well that he has no following in Gurdaspur and could not secure any support there. His fast falling graph as a 'so called' tallest leader of the congress was evident from the fact that Mr. Bajwa lost the Gurdaspur Parliamentary seat with the highest record margin so far in the Majha region even he failed to garner much support from the assembly segment represented by his Wife.
Accusing the Congress for attacking Golden Temple and instigating countrywide Sikh genocide after assassination of Mrs. Indira Gandhi, Mr. Majithia said that it should desist from day dreaming to form next government in 2017. He also criticized Captain Amarinder Singh, who was also grappling with the same leadership crisis and severe infighting within in congress as high command had not yet given their mind to handover reins of party command in the state. Being frustrated Captain was left in lurch and now aiming volley of arrows at his detractors one after another including Bajwa and Bhattal. Mr. Majithia categoarically said that it was a writing on the wall that only and only SAD-BJP alliance was also set to make hattrick by securing clear mandate during 2017 assembly polls solely on the plank of unprecedented development and prosperity in the state.
Taking AAP to cudgels for exploiting the sentiments of innocent people of Punjab, Mr. Majithia said that this party has no future in the state and was on the verge of extinction. Mr. Majithia also warned anti-Punjab forces who were hell bent upon to tarnish the sanguine image of Punjabis and were deliberately branding them as addicts. He said that our stand on this issue has been vindicated with the recent mega Army recruitment drives in Bathinda and Patiala where first time dope tests were conducted and not even a single case was detected. He also assailed PPP Chief Manpreet Singh Badal for joining hands with Congress despite having been avowed at the sacred native place of Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh, Khatkar Kalan to serve the people within his party fold and would never join Akali Dal or Congress for the rest of his life.
Member Parliament from Khadoor Sahib Mr. Ranjit Singh Brahmpura said that Shiromani Akali Dal was the true votary to secure the rights and interests of all sections of society besides ensuring all round development of the state. He blamed Congress Party for intentionally creating logjam in the Lok Sabha just to divert the attention of the people from the core issues of the development which was not only undemocratic, unparliamentarily but also unethical and derogatory.Earlier in his welcome address local MLA Mr. Manjit Singh Manna highlighted the problems of his constituency and demanded immediate rectifications of faulty sewerage system in the holy town of Baba Bakala. He also thanked Mr. Badal for always resolving the issues pertaining to his constituency on priority and he hoped that the problem of sewerage system would also be resolved soon.Prominent amongst others, who were present on the occasion included Cabinet Minister Mr. Gulzar Singh Ranike, former SGPC Chief Bibi Jagir Kaur, Chief Parliamentary Secretaries Mr. Virsa Singh Valtoha, Mr. Amarpal Singh Boni, former Member Rajya Sabha Rajmohinder Singh Majitha besides Senior leaders of Shiromani Akali Dal, Party Workers and Members of SGPC.