Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal today said that being a key ally of the NDA, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) would go along with the BJP’s choice for Prime Ministerial candidate.Talking to the media persons here after administering Oath to Sarpanchs and Panchs of Kapurthala district, the Chief Minister said that deciding the issue of Prime Ministerial candidate was an internal matter of BJP adding that SAD would support every person selected by the BJP as its Prime Ministerial candidate. He said that the SAD-BJP alliance was very firm and as a part of NDA they would ensure that Congress was routed in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. We would extend fulsome support to BJP on whatever they decide about the Prime Ministerial candidate, he added.
The Chief Minister categorically said that all the decisions in the state government were taken unanimously by the SAD-BJP leaders and there was hardly any difference between them on any issue. He said that the fact that there was no dissension in the decisions made by Cabinet reflected that alliance government was working very efficaciously. Mr. Badal also said that there was no pressure of BJP on the decisions made by the state government and due to the efforts of alliance the state was marching forward on the path of unprecedented development.Earlier addressing the mammoth gathering, the Chief Minister said that it was unfortunate that the Congress led UPA government was more worried about the profit of the big oil companies than the welfare of the common man. He said that Congress, which claims to be votary of common man, has in reality broken the backbone of the ‘Aam Aadmi’ by extending largesse to the big Oil Companies through constant hike in price of petroleum products. Mr. Badal said that it was unfortunate that the cost of Petrol and Diesel has been hiked six times in the last half year, which has put additional burden on the common man. The sole aim of this frequent hike in petrol prices was to ensure that the profit of the big oil companies and MNCs was enhanced, he added.
Coming down heavily on the successive Congress led governments at the centre, the Chief Minister said that by diluting the Federal structure of the country, the Centre government has reduced the states to the position of mere beggars. He said that this excessive centralization of the powers by the Union government has resulted in lop sided development of the country due to which regional disparities have increased. Mr. Badal said that the implementation of the genuine federal structure in the country was the panacea of all the problems faced by nation.
Assailing the Congress leaders for being apathetic towards the problems of the poor and weaker sections of society, the Chief Minister said that instead of making any concrete efforts to mitigate the miseries of the common man, the Congress leadership had made mockery of the poor by claiming that one could easily get food at Rs 5. He said that the insensitive Congress leaders were not aware about the ground realities and all the decisions were made by them while sitting in their Air conditioned offices. Mr. Badal said that the statements of the Congress leaders and the figures of Planning Commission of India regarding the poverty line were absurd and were further aimed at humiliating the poor.
The Chief Minister also directed the officers of all the departments to give due respect to the newly elected Sarpanchs and Panchs. He said that if any Panchayat or the newly elected Sarpanch or Panch approaches any officer for the public work than the officers must accord priority to them.Prominent amongst those present on the occasion included Cabinet minister Mr. Surjit Singh Rakhra, Chief Parliamentary Secretary Mr. Som Parkash, former Minister and MLA Bibi Jagir Kaur, Lok Sabha MP Dr. Rattan Singh Ajnala, former Minister Bibi Upinderjit Kaur, former MLA Mr. Sarabjeet Singh Makkar and Deputy Commissioner Mr. DS Mangat.