Assailing the Congress party for demanding imposition of President’s Rule in the state, the Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal today said that the demand of the Congress party was totally baseless, absurd and sans any legal sanctity.Interacting with the media persons on the sidelines of a state level function to commemorate 475th birth Anniversary of national icon Maharana Pratap here today, the Chief Minister said that there was hardly any justification for this demand made by the Congress leadership. He said that the Congress party was indulging in petty politics just for the sake of opposing the SAD-BJP alliance government. Mr. Badal said that Congress had always resorted to such cheap tactics to eliminate the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) time and again but the wise people of Punjab have always foiled such attempts made by the Congress and its leaders. Citing an example, he said that the state Congress Chief Mr. Partap Singh Bajwa was trounced by the people during the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls and he even lost from the assembly segment represented by his wife.
Earlier addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister slammed the successive Congress governments at the Centre for its anti-farmers stance. He said that due to the regressive policies of these Congress governments, the farmers were reeling under heavy debt due to which they were now forced to commit suicides. Badal said that the Congress party had made Agriculture a loss making proposition as a result of which the farmers were under distress.The Chief Minister further said that as the Congress governments at the Centre had usurped the powers of the state in the important departments like Agriculture so they have limited role in these issues.
However, he said that despite of this fact the state government has been providing free power to the farmers at a cost of Rs 5000 crore to bail them for the agrarian crisis. Mr. Badal reiterated the firm commitment of the state government to help the farmers at any cost.Batting for complete sealing of international border, the Chief Minister said that it would help in curbing the menace of drugs in the country. Mr. Badal said that Punjab was today worst affected by the curse of drugs but it was a fact that not even a gram of it was produced in the state. He said that the state was suffering because of the supply of drugs from neighboring states like Rajasthan and from across the international border. ‘But we are committed to stamp out this menace from the state at every cost” added Badal.
Paying floral tributes to Maharana Pratap, the Chief Minister said that he was a great national icon who relentlessly struggled against injustice, tyranny and oppression. He said that Maharana Pratap confronted unimaginable hardships during his lifetime but he faced them valiantly to save the honor and dignity of his motherland. “Maharana Pratap is a lighthouse for all those who want to serve their motherland with utmost zeal and commitment as the exemplary courage exhibited by this legendary warrior hardly finds any parallel in the annals of history ” added Mr. Badal.The Chief Minister said that Punjab was the only state which holds state level functions to celebrate such mega events associated with every section of the society. He said that the Government of India (GoI) should also replicate this model at the national level so as to pay a befitting tribute to these national heroes.
The Chief Minister further said that the SAD-BJP alliance government was committed for perpetuating the glorious history of the state for which stupendous efforts were being made by them. He said that the state government has constructed world class monuments like Viraasat-e-Khalsa Memorial at Sri Anandpur Sahib, Chapparchiri War Memorial at Mohali, Memorials of big and small holocaust at Sangrur and Gurdaspur besides the upcoming ‘Jang-e-Azaadi’ memorial at Kartarpur near Jalandhar and the war Heroes memorial at Amritsar.
Acceding to the request made by the Rajput Kalyan Board, the Chief Minister announced to set up a state-of-the art Rajput Bhawan in any city of there choice, to perpetuate the rich legacy of Maharana Pratap. He also announced to bear the entire expenditure to be incurred on the installation of a statue of Maharana Pratap at Pathankot. On the occasion, the Chairman of Punjab State Rajput Kalyan Board Captain RS Pathania and others conferred ‘Maharana Pratap Rashtriya Sanmaan’ to the Chief Minister for making concerted efforts for ensuring the well being of Rajput community.Prominent amongst other present on the occasion included Deputy Speaker Punjab Vidhan Sabha Mr. Dinesh Singh Babbu, Chief Parliamentary Secretary Mr. GS Babbehali, Cabinet Minister Jammu and Kashmir Chaudhary Lal Singh, senior BJP leader Mr. BD Dhuppar, Maharaja Raghbir Singh Sirohi, Special Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Dr. S Karunaraju and Deputy Commissioner Dr. Abhinav Tirkha.