Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today asked the former Chief Minister and Congress leader Captain Amarinder Singh to desist from ‘stooping too low’ just for the sake of cheap publicity.Interacting with the media persons here on the sidelines of Sangat Darshan program in Baba Bakala assembly segment, the Chief Minister, while asking Lok Sabha MP to refrain from misleading the people through his irrational and baseless statements, said that Amarinder ‘lacks substance’ and was habitual of issuing false statements just to score brownie points before the media. Refuting all the allegations leveled by former Chief Minister regarding misuse of power, he said that Amarinder had been leveling such allegations since long but not even his single charge has proved correct despite of his all efforts. However, Mr. Badal said that former Chief Minister has not learnt any lesson from the past and was trying to befool the people by relentlessly issuing irrelevant statements.
The Chief Minister said that the political leaders must refrain from malicious campaign against each other just for the sake of their vested political interests. Mr. Badal said that throughout his political career spanning over more than six decades he had been a votary of morality in politics. “I avoid mudslinging against even my bitter political foes as it is against my ethics” he added.Asked to comment on the allegations of drug trade against aides of state BJP Chief Mr. Kamal Sharma, the Chief Minister said that law would take its own course in this case. He said that enquiry was going on in this matter and it was not correct to make any comment on this issue at this stage.
Earlier addressing the gatherings during Sangat Darshan in village Jullupur Kheda, Pheruman, Umranangal and Beas besides Raiyya city, the Chief Minister slammed the former Congress Chief Ministers for completing ignoring the interest of the state and its people. Mr. Badal said that while he was moving from village to village for solving the problems faced by people his predecessor Captain Amarinder Singh didn’t bothered to meet the people during his stint as Chief Minister from 2002-2007. He categorically said that Amarinder had never bothered to visit the villages in the state or interact with the people.
On the other hand, the Chief Minister said that the SAD-BJP government has started a flagship program of Sangat Darshan to redress the grievances of the people in a time bound manner. Mr. Badal it was a unique program that was being carried only in the state with the sole motive of ensuring overall development of the state and welfare of its people. He said that most of the other Chief Ministers in the country prefer to enjoy life in their cozy offices and houses rather than carrying such pro-people initiative aimed at the welfare of the masses. “One CM had tried to replicate it by holding ‘Janta Durbar’ but preferred to quit by terming it as an onerous task”, quipped Mr. Badal.
Exhorting the people to not get swayed away by the hollow slogans of fledging political parties, the Chief Minister said that such parties just mislead the people by showing them green pastures. He said that it was a well known fact that whenever people had given these parties any chance they have failed miserably. Mr. Badal said that anyone could entertain the people by catchy slogans but only the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) was committed to serve the people and safeguard the interests of Punjab, Punjabi and Punjabiat.The Chief Minister was accompanied by MLA Mr. Manjeet Singh Mianwind, his Special Principal Secretary Mr. Ajoy Kumar Sharma, Deputy Inspector General of Police Kunwar Vijay Partap, Deputy Commissioner Mr. Ravi Bhagat and Senior Superintendent of Police Mr. Jasdeep Singh.