INVC,
Chandigarh,
Daring the Congress leaders to list even a single achievement of their party to safeguard the interests of the state, Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal today said that the Congress party has always acted as a ‘stumbling block’ in the way of development and prosperity of the state. Talking to the media persons on the sidelines of first day of Sangat Darshan program in Giddarbaha Assembly constituency, the Chief Minister said that rather than making any tangible contribution towards the development and progress of the state, the Congress leadership had always resorted to cheap political gimmicks for scoring brownie points just to sustain its existence in the media. He said the Congress leaders for the want of any meaningful agenda were now completely frustrated and bent hell to sabotage the process of growth thereby turning to unethical and theatrical tactics besides indulging in hooliganism or raising frivolous issue. Mr. Badal categorically said that Congress was the No. 1 enemy of the state due to which the wise voters of Punjab have discarded them from time and again. The Chief Minister said that the Congress party has meted out a step motherly treatment to the state by depriving its capital, Punjabi speaking areas and the legitimate share in river waters. Likewise, he said that this anti-Punjab party had inflicted a deep wound of psyche of Punjabis by senselessly meddling in its social, economic, political and even religious affairs. The Chief Minister further said that the sole aim of the Sangat Darshan program was to ensure the welfare of the people by mitigating their woes through a direct interaction with them. He said that the entire government was at the doorsteps of the people to find solution for any problem faced by them. Mr. Badal said that there was hardly any politicking in this entire process and the decisions were taken solely to ensure the well being of the people. Replying to a query, the Chief Minister said that the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) was committed to safeguard the interests of the Punjabi farmers in Gujarat by waging the political and legal battle from the forefront. He said the state government would extend every possible help to these farmers for pursuing their case in the Apex court of the country. Squarely blaming the Congress for this crisis, Mr. Badal today said that Congress party had always adopted anti-farmer stance in general and anti-Punjab in particular. Mr. Badal said that the decision to freeze agricultural lands of Punjabi farmers was totally based on a circular issued by the Congress government in 1973 according to which if any agriculturist from outside Gujarat purchases agricultural land in that state, he was declared a non-agriculturist. Later on addressing the massive gathering of people during Sangat Darshan at village Khidkiyan Wala, Aasa Buttar, Harike Kalaan, Smaag, Sure Wala, Kauni, Ghuri Sangar and Waada Kishanpura, the Chief Minister said that the former Finance Minister Mr. Manpreet Singh Badal has ruined his political career by stabbing the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and now he was striving hard to take refuge in Congress camp for his political rehabilitation. He said that though the SAD had honored Manpreet by giving him pivotal positions in party and government but now he was spitting venom against his mother party to gain sympathy from Congress President Mrs. Sonia Gandhi. Striking an emotional chord with the voters of Giddarbaha constituency, Mr. Badal said that he had handed over his political legacy in this assembly segment to Manpreet Singh but the latter had deceived the voters of this constituency by leaving the party. The Chief Minister said that Gidderbaha assembly segment has special significance in his life because he had not only initiated his political career from this place but also the people of this segment had always stood by him in every thick and thin of life. Mr. Badal promised the people that he would regularly hold Sangat Darshan in this assembly segment from now onwards. “I cannot repay the honor and love bestowed upon me by the people of this assembly segment”, he added. Meanwhile in a significant gesture, the Chief Minister honored 266 Akali workers and their kin who were lodged in jails during the various SAD agitations (Morchas). Mr. Badal said that these workers and families have suffered many hardships for the cause of the party and it was the moral duty of the SAD to honor them for this supreme sacrifice. Describing these workers as the backbone of the party, he said that the party was in power today because of the struggle led by them. The Chief Minister exhorted the people to avoid groupism in the villages and rise above the parochial considerations to further give a boost to the development process in the villages. He said that efforts must be made to ensure overall development of villages for which the state government was providing a large number of funds. Mr. Badal said that the state government has already embarked a major scheme to upgrade and strengthen the rural roads network in the state at a cost of Rs 1700 crore adding that efforts were afoot to provide potable drinking water to the people in rural areas along with the basic civic amenities on urban pattern. The Chief Minister was accompanied by Lok Sabha MP from Faridkot Mrs. Paramjeet Kaur Gulshan, Senior Akali leaders Mr. Hardeep Singh Dimpi Dhillon, Mr. Sant Singh Brar, Member SGPC Jathedar Navtej Singh Kauni, Special Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Mr. KJS Cheema and Deputy Commissioner Mr. Paramjeet Singh.
