Cong govt has befooled and betrayed farmers – Sukhbir Badal

Isru, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal today said it was unfortunate that the Congress government had befooled farmers in the name of loan waiver and was now betraying them by refusing to honour its promise.

Addressing a huge party gathering here to commemorate the martyrdom of Goa liberator Karnail Singh Isru, the SAD President said after promising a minuscule crop loan waiver scheme of Rs 1,500 crore against a total loan waiver of Rs 90,000 crore, finance minister Manpreet Badal was refusing to implement this by taking the excuse of financial stress. “Manpreet Badal should not try to fool and cheat Punjabis. He was finance minister for four years during SAD-BJP rule. He knew the exact condition of State finances. He was also the head of the Congress election manifesto which announced the loan waiver promise. Now he is trying to run away from his commitment. This proves he had no intention of waiving off farmer loans in the first place”.

Mr Badal said the Congress government had also betrayed the youth of the State through promises of ghar ghar naukari even though the only job given till now was that to the grand son of former CM Beant Singh. He said in another travesty the government was now trying to befool youth by bringing the annual placement drive of colleges under the ghar ghar naukari yojna. What can be more deceitful?” he asked.

Mr Badal said the situation was such that leave aside promises, the government was failing to provide governance also. “Congressmen have let loose reign of terror across the State. No one is being spared be it Dalits, women or even children. Recently a Congress legislator also facilitated seizure of land of a serving army jawan guarding the frontiers of the country”. He said similarly false cases were also being registered against Akali workers. Stating that the SAD would not take this lying down, he asked party men to unite and hold protests in case of any injustice against them.

Party Mp Prem Singh Chandumajra said under the new government farmers were being penalised for believing the government. He said farmers were being charged high penal interest simply because they had believed the announcements that their loans had been waived. He also asked why Congress Vice President had failed to visit Punjab despite the death of 200 farmers post suicide. He said before the assembly elections Rahul had visited Punjab to condole the death of two farmers but now when 200 farmers had committed suicide he was maintaining a studious silence.