Former Punjab deputy Chief minister and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal today said the shocking incident of a Moga Sarpanch shearing off his beard to protest against government apathy in cutting off water supply to his village was reminiscent of the complete paralysis in governance under the new Congress government which had alienated each and every section of society.In a statement here, the SAD president said though he was personally against this form of protest, he could understand the pain of Sarpanch Harbhajan Singh of Bahona village in Moga. “The sarpanch resorted to this extreme step after the Deputy Commissioner assured him that water supply to his village would be restored by Thursday. The same official failed to fulfill his promise and even did not meet the elected representative when he called on him yesterday. With his village and his people without water and no relief in sight the sarpanch took this extreme step to wake up the deaf government and make it listen to the voice of the common man. It is condemnable that no action has been taken against any official for this criminal neglect”, he added.
Stating that the Congress government seemed to have thrown in the towel only two months after its formation, Mr Badal said 51 farmers had committed suicide during this period. “Not only this, there have been 15 recorded cases of sacrilege besides umpteen cases of gang war and even armed dacoities. As many as ten political murders have taken place with the first one happening on March 14 immediately after the Congress government took over the reins of the State. While Gurbachan Singh Khalsa was shot dead on March 14 in Gurdaspur after being threatened over a loudspeaker, Akali workers Harnam Singh and his son Joginder were killed on May 2 in Ferozepur after being warned on facebook by their Congress rival”.The former Deputy CM said it seemed as if there was no government in Punjab and it had descended into jungle raj. “The government has abrogated its responsibility to maintain law and order and handed over the State to Congress goons. These hoodlums are not only indulging in repression but also trying to forcibly take over all elected municipal bodies as seen recently in Bathinda, Faridkot and Morinda. The State police is unable to act decisively due to lack of any direction from the top”, he added.
Stating that all this was a direct result of the betrayal of promises made to Punjabis, Mr Badal said farmers had become despondent and 51 farmers had ended their lives after the government failed to waive off their loans. “The Congress befooled the people with the slogan of karja, Kurki khatam, fasal di poori rakam” but the exact opposite is happening. While nothing has been done on the loan front, even kurki (attachment of properties) has not been stopped. Farmers faced problems in procurement and even payment to them has been delayed”, he added.Mr Badal said similarly the youth and the dalits were also becoming dejected. “The Congress promised 60 lakh jobs to the youth. They have not even started delivering on this front. Similarly dalits, who had been promised an increase in social welfare benefits, are facing a cut in all benefits due to freezing of these schemes”.Asking the government to stop indulging in cheap PR stunts and deliver on its promises, the former Deputy CM also asked the Congress government to get a grip on the law and order situation in Punjab as the State’s image was being spoiled worldwide due to its wanton neglect of the State and its people.