Describing the Akalis’ claims of “zero tolerance” to corruption as “THE JOKE OF THE ELECTION 2012”, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee President Capt Amarinder Singh today remarked, “Akalis’ promise of zero tolerance to corruption in their manifesto sounds like devil quoting scriptures”. On the development, Capt Amarinder said, the Akalis, particularly Sukhbir Badal had still not stopped trying to build castles in the air even after having failed for five years.
Blasting their claims, in what they claim to be the “blueprint of Punjab’s destiny”, of strengthening a strong Lok Ayukta, he asked, if they were so sincere why they did not do it during the last five years. He said, it was the Congress government headed by him which had appointed Lokpal headed by Justice Dhaliwal. But after the Akalis came to power they weakened the institution. He pointed out, there was one Assistant Sub Inspector of Police attached with it and no other staff. “Do they mean to strengthen Lokpal with one ASI?” he asked.
He said, Akali-BJP government was the most corrupt government in Punjab since independence and their claims over zero tolerance to corruption sound quite paradoxical. He maintained that a corrupt party and alliance cannot claim to have zero tolerance to corruption.
Referring to Sukhbir’s day dreaming about Punjab being power surplus and state exporting power from 2013, Capt Amarinder pointed out, Sukhbir had made similar promises in 2007 saying Punjab will be power surplus by 2010. “It seems they have simply reproduced their 2007 manifesto”, he said, while pointing out, “we still have three days power cuts in a week to industry and entire rural areas still plunged in darkness”.
Similarly he pointed out, Metro Rail in Ludhiana had been promised way back in 2007 and this promise has been repeated again with a firm resolve to be broken again.
Ridiculing Akalis’ commitment of getting Chandigarh and Punjabi speaking areas back from Haryana, the PCC President said, they have been saying it for last forty years at the time of elections and once in power they even forget to mention about it.
He questioned the party’s commitment towards federalism saying a party that is terminally dependent on a right wing party like Bhartiya Janata Party which believes in a strong centre, can only wish but never do anything about it and needless to add they have no desire to do anything about it. “And Akalis have a record of shelving the issue they claim to hold close to heart for power”, he remarked, while adding these are hoax claims of a desperate party.
Taking a dig at the Alkalis claims of converting the entire PUNBUS and PEPSU fleet into air-conditioned buses, the former Chief Minister remarked, this is yet another joke. “People of Punjab know how they manipulated the transport policy to their own advantage bleeding both the PUNBUS and PEPSU and now they are selling the dreams of making these buses air-conditioned”, he said, while remarking, “it sounds like promising a feast to someone already dead of hunger”.
Capt Amarinder remarked, the Akali manifesto did not come as any surprise to him since he did not expect it any better. “They are ideologically bankrupt having no vision and they were only waiting for our manifesto to come out”, he remarked, while adding, “however hats off to them they took just six days to study our manifesto and come out with their own while it took us more than six full months”.