Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
Muktsar/Chandigarh, The Punjab Congress President, Mr Partap Singh Bajwa, today announced that the party would gherao the Bharatiya Janata Party chief Mr Amit Shah whenever he visited this state on drugs and other issues.
He made this announcement while addressing a massive political conference on Maghi at Muktsar. The other issues included the continuing threat of eviction being faced by the Punjabi farmers in Gujarat, shortage of urea, anti-farmer amendments in the land acquisition legislation by the Narendra Modi government and failure to bring black money from abroad out of which Rs. 15 lakh was to be given to each person in the country.
Mr Bajwa said the problem of drug menace had become very acute as smuggling was being patronised by the ruling party leaders. The names of the Akali ministers had surfaced in this racket with the Revenue Minister Mr Bikram Singh Majithia and the Chief Parliamentary Secretary Avinash Chander having been quizzed by the Enforcement Directorate while Jails Minister Sarwan Singh Phillaur had to resign.
He pointed out that the crisis was so deep that even the Prime Minister, Mr Narendra Modi, had to admit the same in his Man Ki Baat programme.
The PPCC chief recalled it was the Congress which had launched sustained agitation against drugs beginning with chakka jam on January 16, 2014 followed by chain hunger strike from January 19 to 28.
He attacked the Akali Dal’s alliance partner, the Bharatiya Janata Party, for being equal partner in this crime saying the party was playing double role by continuing to be part of the government while talking of this menace. He said not only this, the party had its hands in every crime that was being committed including the smuggling of prescription and synthetic drugs and sand mining as both health as well as mining departments were with the BJP ministers.
Referring to the deteriorating industrial environment, Mr Bajwa said trade and industry faced the worst under the present regime due to the policies being implemented by the Deputy Chief Minister Mr Sukhbir Singh Badal who had put heavy burden of taxes. He slammed the state government for the closure of 18770 industrial units having closed down in the state in recent years.
He came down heavily on the NDA government at the centre dubbing it as the anti-farmer. He said the amendments to the Land Acquisition Act introduced by the Modi government were anti-farmer. This government had failed to keep up its promise of implementing the Swaminathan report on the fixation of the minimum support price of the farm produce. On the other hand, it was the earlier UPA government that was farmer friendly. During the earlier NDA regime from 1998 to 2004, the total hike in the MSP of paddy was just Rs. 60 as compared to Rs. 690 during the UPA government. similarly, the hike in wheat MSP over the comparable period was Rs. 50 and Rs. 645 per quintal.
He said the Parkash Singh Badal government had utterly failed to implement its poll promises and these included old age pension, shagun scheme and unemployed allowance. On the other hand, the power bills had multiplied upsetting the family budget of the people. Now the people were waiting as to when the Badal government would tax on breathing of oxygen.
Bajwa also lambasted the NDA Govt. for failing to implement One Rank – One Pension for ex-servicemen which was approved by the UPA Govt. in 2014.
Among those who were present included Smt. Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, ex- CM, Mr. Mohinder Singh Kay Pee Former President PPCC, Mr Amarinder Singh Raja Warring MLA and President IYC, Smt. Karan Kaur Brar MLA, Mr Ajit Inder Singh Mofar MLA, S. Navtej Singh Cheema MLA, Mr Surinder Pal Singh Sibia Vice President PPCC, Mr Hans Raj Josan ex-minister, Mr Harminder Singh Jassi ex-minister, Mr. Kanwaljit Singh Lalli ex-MLA, Mr Gurmeet Singh Khudian President DCC Muktsar, Mr Darshan Singh Brar President DCC Moga, Mr. Mohan Lal Zumba President DCC Bathinda Urban, Mr Chamkaur Singh Dhindsa President DCC Ferozepur, Mr Paramjit Mann President DCC Barnala, Mr Koshal Kumar President DCC Fazilka, Mr Inderjit Singh Zira Chairman Kisan and Khet Mazdoor Cell, Mr Amjad Khan Chairman Minority Cell, Smt. Kittu Grewal President Punjab Mahila Congress, Mr Inderpal Dhanna Chairman Legal Cell, Smt. Jagdarshan Kaur former President DCC Moga, Mr Jagtar Singh Rajla Ex-MLA, S. Gura Singh Tungwali President DCC Bathinda Rural, Sh. Pawan Goyal former President DCC Faridkot, Mr Bikram Singh Mofar President DCC Mansa, Mr. Anil Dutta, Mr Satnam Singh Bitta, Mr Narinder Singh Kauni, Mr Dhanjit Singh Dhani, Mr Bhupinder Malout, Mr Rajinder Singh Rana Randhawa, Mr Tehal Singh Sandu, Dr. Harjot Kamal, Mr Manjeet Singh Mann, Mr Kanwar Harpreet Sandhu Secretaries PPCC, Mr Kamaljit Singh Brar Youth Congress leader, Mr Gursant Singh Brar former President DCC Muktsar, Mr Vinod Maini Kot Kapura, Mr Jaswinder Sikhanwala, Sh. Sharanjit Singh Sandhu Youth Congress and Dilawar Singh Secretary PPCC and S. Jagtar Singh Burj Chairman Panchayat Rural Development PPCC.
