Calling it a typical case of the pot calling the kettle black, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Saturday ridiculed Sukhbir Badal over the latter’s irrational reaction to his government’s budget, saying that in the absence of any real cause for criticism, the Akali leader had once again resorted to making bizarre and illogical comments.Finding absolutely no real cause to complain with the budget, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president had come out with one of his most ridiculous statements ever, said the Chief Minister, lashing out at Sukhbir for his persistent attempts to mislead the people of Punjab with unfounded and senseless remarks.Referring to Sukhbir’s comments calling him (Captain Amarinder) a businessman, the Chief Minister said it was evident that the Akali chief either had no clue about what a businessman really was (which could not be ruled out) or was, as usual, playing to the gallery by picking up some catchy word or phrase to make media headlines.Frankly, said Captain Amarinder, considering the wide array of business interests (cable, hotels, transport etc) in which the Badal family had involved itself during the 10 years of their rule, it was Sukhbir and his kin who were the real businessman. And like a petty businessman who does not want to share the fruits of his business with others, Sukhbir had never left his `shop’ for a second, said the Chief Minister, adding that the SAD president was, even now, obsessively controlling his business interests with an iron hand, to the detriment of his own party.“Had Sukhbir shown even 10% of this interest (he is now showing in my doings) in the welfare of the state when his party was in power, Punjab’s story would have been different today,” said the Chief Minister, lashing out at the Akali leader for looting the state left, right and centre for his own business interests during the decade-long rule of his party.
Captain Amarinder also took a swipe at Sukhbir, as well as Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal, for deriding the `Ideal Chief Minister’ award recently conferred on him by the Bharatiya Chhatra Sansad. “It is clearly a case of sour grapes for them,” he retorted, adding that none of the Badals could ever dream of being even remotely considered for such an honour – the reason for their angst at anyone else being awarded for their good work.Questioning Sukhbir’s fanatic interest in probing into his (Captain Amarinder’s) style of functioning, the Chief Minister said instead of trying to find out where he worked from or spent his working hours, the Akali chief would be better off keeping closer tabs on his own party and party members.The SAD is in a total disarray as a result of Sukhbir’s ineffective style of functioning, said Captain Amarinder, adding that, in sharp contrast to the former deputy chief minister, he believed in delegating responsibilities to ensure more effective and transparent governance in the larger interest of the state and its people.It was the result of this way of functioning that his cabinet colleagues and the entire team of officers, from the top to the lowest ranks, were able to deliver their best, in an environment where they could think, ideate and act freely, without having to report every movement to the Chief Minister, said Captain Amarinder. His government’s success in bringing back on track the state’s economy, which the previous SAD-BJP government had completely ruined, was also the result of this democratic and transparent style of working, he added.Taking a dig at Sukhbir’s comment on the condition of the state’s roads, the Chief Minister when was the last time the Akali leader had looked at any road (except perhaps the one that leads to The Oberoi Sukhvilas, in which he has a major business interest). The Akali government had left the roads in a pathetic condition, just as they had done with every other facet of Punjab, Captain Amarinder quipped, adding that his Finance Minister, Manpreet Badal, had been walking a tightrope for the past three years, trying to address the multitude of economic challenges faced by the state as a result of the misgovernance of the previous government, headed by the Badals.