Punjab Congress today said the Punjab BJP leaders were shedding crocodile’s tears over plight of urban people and charged BJP for playing in hands of hands of Deputy Chief Minister Mr. Sukhbir Singh Badal for personal gains and compromising the interests of urban people, industry and traders. In a statement issued here today PPCC Vice Presidents Mr. Om Parkash Soni, Mr. Charanjit Singh Channi and Mr. Tarlochan Singh Soond said that BJP’s two day session in Chandigarh to discuss its strategy against fresh tax proposals by SAD-BJP government was a futile exercise and an attempt to befool the people of state. They said that BJP leaders had virtually kneeled before Mr.Sukhbir Singh Badal who is instrumental in imposing property tax, hefty fees for regularization of illegal colonies and now introducing e-trip system of tax collection.
The Congress leaders wondered that BJP ministers in the cabinet never raised voice against exorbitant taxes other issues related to urban people. The BJP didn’t either oppose an unprecedented hike in power tariff for general and industrial consumers. They said that three former BJP ministers Mr.Manoranjan kalia, Mr. Swarna Ram and Master Mohan Lal were removed from cabinet by the party high command due to non-performance and corruption in their departments. However things took turn for the worst. The BJP industry minister Mr.Anil Joshi had surrendered before Mr. Sukhbir Badal while forming new industrial policy.
The PPCC leaders said that ministers were as corrupt as the SAD ministers. They said that Chief Minister Mr.Parkash Singh Badal and Mr.Sukhbir Badal were protecting corrupt SAD ministers and taking BJP ministers for ride. They said that writ of only SAD prevails in the alliance government as the BJP has lost its esteem and will to resist wrong doings of ruling partner.They said that Badal Government was bringing deceptive ideas of harassing the traders and other sections of society. They said that solution to improve the economy was not imposing heavy taxes on people but by bringing realistic administrative reforms and eradicate corruption from the government. They said that e-trip system would further weaken the economy of Punjab because Punjab is the only state in the north India to impose it. It would create obstacles in trade with other states.
The Congress leaders said that Punjab Congress stood by with the trading community of Punjab build pressure on Punjab Government to withdraw imposition of e-trip in Punjab. They said that the basic premise on which the concept of e-trip lies in disbelief in the business community. They are imposing systems of governance for which small time business men are incapable of management. The PPCC Vice Presidents said that people of Punjab had realized that they have created a Frankenstein of SAD-BJP government who is all out to devour its creator. While SAD-BJP government is paying no heed to their own profligate ways of governance, they are in no mood to understand difficulties of common men and businessmen in Punjab.
They said that Congress party had forced the SAD-BJP government to review the property tax rates, now party would launch protest against e-trip system and hefty fees on regularization of illegal colonies beside other issues like power hike and proposal to impose fresh taxes on common people. The Congress party has effectively fought against property tax and wealth tax and forced the government to grant relief to people.