Taking strong exception to the stiff resistance shown by Congress Chief Captain Amarinder Singh and Delhi Chief Minister Mr. Arvind Kejriwal against the pro-people policies of state government, the Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal today said that it has exposed the anti-Punjab face of both the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).Addressing the public gatherings in village Dhaler Kalan, Sandhaur, Sherwani Kot, Ferozepur Kothala and others during Sangat Darshan program in Malerkotla assembly segment today, the Chief Minister said that by announcing that they would review the pro-people decisions taken by the state government like regularization of employees and others, Captain Amarinder Singh and AAP leaders have proved that if voted to power they would withdraw the subsidies and concessions like free power, Atta-Dal, Shagun and others being given to the people. He said that Captain has an anti-people track record adding that during his stint as Chief Minister the state Congress Chief has not given job to a single person. Mr. Badal said that the state Congress Chief had even withdrew the facility of free power being given to the farmers.On the contrary, the Chief Minister said that in last ten years the SAD-BJP alliance has given free power to farmers at a cost of Rs 5000 crore annually. He said that now in a historic initiative the state government has decided to regularize the services of 30000 employees by passing the bill in the state assembly.
Mr. Badal said that the SAD-BJP alliance has ensured the welfare of every strata of society by taking several path breaking initiatives for providing jobs, quality health and education facilities and by starting several pro-poor welfare schemes.Interacting with the media persons on the sidelines of Sangat Darshan, the Chief Minister said that he would contest the election from the seat which would be allocated to him by the party. He said that in a democratic set up party was the supreme and he had always obeyed by the decision of his party. Flaying the shameful act of vandalisation of Gurdwara Sahib in Calgary (Canada), the Chief Minister said that this incident has bruised the psyche of every human being in general and Sikhs in particular. Mr. Badal said that this incident needs to be condemned in strongest words as it was a crime against the humanity as the Sikh Gurus have shown the way of peace, communal harmony and welfare of all to the entire humanity. He said that the Government of India (GoI) must ensure the safety and security of the law abiding members of the Punjabi Diaspora abroad, which have been living in across the globe for decades as "most civilized and productive members of the local society.Taking the Congress party to cudgels, the Chief Minister said that the Punjabis could never forgive the Congress party for its sins against Punjab. He said that Congress has irrelevantly meddled in the social, political, economic and even religious affairs of the state adding that the Congress governments at the centre had deliberately denied the state of Punjabi speaking areas, its capital Chandigarh and even its legitimate share in river waters. Mr. Badal said that no true Punjabi could ever forgive Congress for sins like Operation Blue Star and the killing of innocents in 1984 anti-Sikh carnage.
The Chief Minister said that Sangat Darshan was a flagship program of his government from the first day ever since he assumed the office. He said that this pro-people program finds no parallel across the country as no other Chief Minister bothers to spare so much time for the people by solving their problems at their doorsteps. Mr. Badal said that the Delhi Chief Minister had announced to hold ‘Janta Darbars’ for redressing the grievances of people, but this never turned into a reality. He said that this interactive program for redressing the public complaints could be successfully held by only those public representatives, who were well versed with the problems of the masses and not by those who were not aware of these woes.Listing the major pro-people initiatives taken by the state government, the Chief Minister said that the SAD-BJP alliance government has supplied free power to the farmers of the state. He further said that Punjab was the only state in the country to provide Atta-Dal scheme to the weaker sections adding that it was also the only state to ensure free treatment for fatal diseases like Cancer and Hepatitis C. Mr. Badal further said that in another historic decision it has been decided that all the farmers would be provided a health insurance cover of Rs.50,000 and an insurance of Rs.5 lac in case of accidental death or incapacitation of head of family.The Chief Minister was accompanied by Cabinet Minister Mr. Parminder Singh Dhindsa, MLA Mr. Iqbal Singh Jhunda, former Minister Mr. Nusrat Ikram Khan, his Special Principal Secretary Dr S Karunaraju, Deputy Commissioner Jaskiran Singh and Senior Superintendent of Police Mr. Inderbir Singh.