Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal today strongly condemned the armed attack on Sikh pilgrims in Oak Gurdwara and said that he and the Chief Minister has already requested Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and External Affairs Minister S M Krishna to take all possible diplomatic, political and other measures to impress upon US Government to ensure safety and security of Sikhs living there.Talking to media persons after inaugurating Rs. 17 crore Railway Over Bridge near Shambhu Barrier on Shambhu-Patiala Road, Badal said that every Sikh was deeply concerned about the safety and security of the Sikh community, who have contributed with the sweat of their brow for development of US and other western countries. He said that the Chief Minister has requested Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh to request US Government to probe this tragedy deeply so that real motive of attack on peaceful Sikh community could be exposed and guilty could be punished with exemplary punishment. He said that he has already sought an appointment from US Ambassador to convey the concern of Punjab Government as well as of Shiromani Akali Dal on the well planned and orchested attack on Sikh community that too in a holy place of Gurdwara. He also condoled the death of Sukhwant Singh Kaleka brother-in-law of Punjab Rural Development Minister Surjit Singh Rakhra.Ridiculing the demand of congress MPs from Punjab for disbursing drought relief fund directly to the farmers instead of handing it over to state government, Badal said that they have no guts to raise the issue of grave injustice meted out to the Punjabi farmers in recently announced Rs.2300 crore central drought relief package as our state was not granted even a single penny. He said that besides ignoring Punjab in drought relief package it was also not allotted even single additional Mega Watt of Power to meet the ever increasing demand of power for state’s farm sector.The Deputy Chief Minister clarified that the state government was not taking any escape route to impose taxes. He said that the Finance Minister during presentation of Budget 2012-13 categorically said that the state needs to mobilize additional resources to the tune of Rs.3000 crore. He said that there was not even an iota of truth in the alleged reports of differences between SAD-BJP on the issue of imposition of new taxes. He said that the SAD-BJP combine was forever and it always take joint decisions with total coordination. The Deputy Chief Minister reiterated the firm commitment of SAD-BJP government to provide world class infrastructure in the Urban as well as Rural areas of the state. He said that with an ambitious plan of Rs.8600 crore the state government was going to provide portable drinking water and sewerage facility to each house hold. He said that to deal with the problem of water pollution the state government would spend more than Rs.1000 crore to ensure setting up of sufficient sewerage treatment plants so that only treated water should be allowed to discharge in water channels. He also assured to enquire the alleged allegations regarding discharging polluted water directly into the earth by some industries and said that the guilty one should not be spared. When asked about the senior BJP Leader L.K. Advani’s prediction of Non-BJP and Non-Congress Prime Minister after 2014 general elections, Badal said that SAD was a constituent of NDA and would always stand by its decision. Earlier, kick starting Rs. 2500 crore 4 laning project of Chandigarh-Bathinda road, Badal said that Punjab is all set to link all major towns with 4/6 lane roads in next two years at the cost of Rs. 13,000 crore. He said that Punjab was the only state that built 29 ROBs during last five years at the cost of Rs. 402 crores and with the completion of Chandigarh-Bathinda expressway, the main road artery between Chandigarh and heartland of Malwa would be completed facilitating traffic between Chandigarh and Bathinda refinery besides facilitated traffic to neighbouring state Haryana. Later on the Deputy Chief Minister addressed a public rally. Prominent amongst others who were present on the occasion included Smt. Harpreet Kaur Mukhmailpur and Smt. Vaninder Kaur Loomba both MLAs, Mahesh Inder Singh Grewal, Advisor to Chief Minister, Prof. Prem Singh Chandumajra, Former MP, Ajaib Singh Mukhmailpur, Former MLA, P.S. Aujla, Principal Secretary to Deputy Chief Minister and Secretary PWD (B&R) and Surjit Singh Garhi, Executive Member SGPC.