Congress and AAP two sides of same coin- C M Badal

Date: 2016-08-15 16:51 GMT+05:30

Don't justify anti-Punjab and  anti Sikh stance by supporting them

CM pays floral tribute to Karnail Singh Issru

Issru (Ludhiana), August 15, 2016: (Punjab Screen Bureau):

Slamming the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for their anti-Punjab stance, the Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal today urged the people of state not to blindly justify the sinister moves of these parties as both these parties were inimical to interests of state and were constantly working against interests of its people.

Addressing an impressive gathering during the state level function to mark the observance of martyrdom day of great revolutionary Shaheed Karnail Singh Issru, who laid down his life during the liberation of Goa from Portuguese regime here today at his native village, the Chief Minister said that Congress and AAP were two sides of a coin that were suffering from same anti-Punjab syndrome. He said that Punjabis must remain vigilant of the nefarious designs of both these parties to ruin the state. Mr. Badal said that both these parties have proven track record of anti-Punjab and anti-Sikhism. 

Taking the Congress party to cudgels, the Chief Minister said that Congress has irrelevantly meddled in the social, political, economic and even religious affairs of the state. He further bemoaned that the Congress governments at the centre had deliberately denied the state of Punjabi speaking areas, its capital Chandigarh and even its legitimate share in river waters. “How can any true Punjabi forget and forgive Operation Blue Star and the killing of innocents in 1984 anti-Sikh carnage” questioned Mr. Badal.

The Chief Minister said that Congress party was the perpetrator of a deep rooted conspiracy to deprive the state of its waters by constructing the Satluj Yamuna Link (SYL) canal. He said that Congress government had planned SYL to rob the waters of state, Congress Prime Minister had performed its ground breaking ceremony and the then state Congress government had approved it but on the contrary Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) had opposed it tooth and nail. “Congress leaders are now ‘shedding crocodile tears on issue while forgetting that incumbent state Congress President Captain Amarinder Singh had welcomed Indira Gandhi to lay foundation of this canal in 1980s”, added Mr. Badal.

Making a scathing attack on AAP, the Chief Minister said that in the garb of Aam Aadmi this party was infact a band of fugitives and opportunists who were vying to attain political power at every cost. He said that this new party which was now ‘mushrooming up’ in the state has no sympathy with people of state. Citing an example, Mr. Badal said that the AAP government in Delhi has taken stand contrary to the interests of Punjab on the issue of SYL in Apex court.   

The Chief Minister said that only Shiromani Akali Dal was the true custodian of the interests of Punjab and its people. He said that the last around ten years of rule of SAD-BJP alliance was testimony to the fact that the state government has delivered every promise made to people. “The alliance delivers whereas the other political parties just mislead the people by unleashing malicious propaganda”, added Mr. Badal.

 The Chief Minister called upon the people to hand over the control of their destiny in right hands by forming SAD-BJP alliance government for third consecutive term. He said that every vote for alliance in coming poll would be a vote for stability, development, peace and right governance in the state. “Secure the future of your younger generations by supporting alliance government in coming polls so that further fillip can be given to ongoing development of state”, added Mr. Badal.

Listing the major initiatives taken by the state government, the Chief Minister said that the alliance government has supplied free power to the farmers of the state at a cost of Rs 50000 crore in last ten years to bail them out from agrarian crisis. He further said that under various pro-poor and pro-people social security schemes the alliance government has decided to double the pensions given to people. Mr. Badal said that the state government has started first of its kind scheme to provide interest free crop loans worth Rs 50000 to the farmers. He further said that in another historic decision it has been decided that all the farmers would be provided a health insurance cover of Rs.50,000 and an insurance of Rs.5 lac in case of accidental death or incapacitation of head of family.

The Chief Minister also expressed satisfaction over the overwhelming success of Mukh Mantri Tirath Yatra scheme. He said that people were availing benefits of this first of its kind scheme in the country enthusiastically and with full religious fervor. Mr. Badal said that under this scheme free pilgrimage was being provided to devotees to sacred cities of Sri Nanded Sahib, Varanasi, Katra (Mata Vaishno Devi), Ajmer Sharif and other holy places. He said that state government was organizing free trains/ bus service to these cities for the pilgrims along with other logistic facilities.

Earlier, the Chief Minister paid floral tributes to Shaheed Karnail Singh Issru in the village. 

The Chief Minister was accompanied by former MLAs Mr Ranjit Singh Talwandi and Mr Jagjiwan Singh Khirnia, Chairman Punjab Subordinate Services Selection Board Jathedar Santa Singh Umedpuri, SGPC Members Jathedar Jagjit Singh Talwandi and Bhai Gurcharan Singh Grewal, his Special Principal Secretary Dr S Karunaraju, Inspector General of Police Mr Lok Nath Aangra, Deputy Commissioner Mr Ravi Bhagat and Senior Superintendent of Police Mr Satinder Singh.