Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
* SAD-BJP alliance committed to ensure state’s overall development and
prosperity
* Amarinder and Bajwa would never succeed in their dubious game plan
* Majithia blames Congress, AAP and PPP for indulging in mudslinging
Baba Bakala (Amritsar), August 29: Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash
Singh Badal today lambasted at the Congress and AAP for misleading the
people of the state to pursue their vested interests and hidden agenda
with the sole aim to rule the masses rather serving them earnestly.
Addressing a massive public gathering here on the auspicious occasion
of Rakhar Punneya, Mr. Badal said that the leaders of both these
parties were opportunists and generally come out in the election
season as most of the time they undergo hibernation. On the contrary,
Shiromani Akali Dal was the party with rich legacy to safeguard the
interests of farmers and the downtrodden as both these significant
sections of the society have been ever blatantly ignored by these
parties for their narrow interests. He reminded the people how the
SAD-BJP ruling alliance offered free power to the farmers despite
severe criticism from Center, adding he said it was on the record when
Captain Amarinder Singh’s government came into power in 2002, he
withdrew this concession from the farmers as first and foremost
action, which spoke volumes of insensitivity and apathy towards the
farming community. He accused the Congress for perpetrating 1984 riots
against Sikhs and attacking Sri Harmandir Sahib besides frequently
interfering in the religious matters of the Sikhs. Mr. Badal
categorically said that Punjabis could never forget the discrimination
meted out to Punjab during Congress regime at center be it religious,
economic and political issues. “Everybody knew how the congress
deprived Punjab of its legitimate rights like transfer of Chandigarh
and Punjabi speaking areas to the state and sharing of river waters on
Riparian principles” asserted Mr. Badal. He said it was time tested
that Congress could never be sincere and honest with Punjab and its
people because they believed in the policy of divide and rule.
The Chief Minister cautioned the people to beware of nefarious
designs of Congress and AAP as both were engrossed in intense
infighting on the issue of leadership unlike the Akali party which was
united like rock and capable of giving a strong and stable government
to ensure overall development and welfare of its people in future.
Making a dig at Aam Aadmi Party, Mr. Badal said it had been able to
exploit the sentiments of the
people by showing mirage to them and dared its leadership that one can
befool the people once but not for all times to come. He said this one
year old party in Punjab was heading swiftly towards its decay as its
leaders in the state were at loggerheads on the issue of leadership.
Mr. Badal also mentioned that top Congress leadership in the state was
also sailing in the same boat as Captain, Bajwa and Bhattal were at
daggers drawn to eliminate each other from the political scene for
their own survival. Mr. Badal outlined remarkable progress achieved by
the state government in different fields-be it Agriculture, Industry,
Infrastructure, Education, Helathcare, IT adding he said Punjab has
become power surplus state in the country and thus have been awarded
the best performing state in Power sector.
With the BJP led NDA government coming to power at center, Mr. Badal
said that Punjab stands benefited enormously from its benevolence as
it has already given gifts like AIIMS, IIM, Heritage status to
Amritsar, including Amritsar, Jalandhar and Ludhiana as Smart Cities
and World Heritage Park status to legendary monument of Jallianwala
Bagh and Horticulture Research Institute of Excellence at Amritsar.
Criticising the Congress leadership especially Mr. Bajwa for playing
to gallery on the issue of Sugarcane crisis, Mr. Badal announced that
the entire issue with regard to the payment of sugar cane arrears due
towards the owners of the private sugar mills and ensuring smooth
operations in crushing season would be resolved amicably to the
satisfactions of the farmers and the owners of the mills within a
week. He asked the congressmen to resist from blowing this issue out
of proportion as the state government was fully seized of the
situation and concerted efforts were made to find out a viable
solution.
Highly appreciating the indomitable spirit of Punjabis of gallantry,
courage and valour, the Chief Minister said that they had inherited
the spirit of self sacrifice and patriotism from Sri Guru Nanak Dev
ji, Sri Guru Arjun Dev ji, Sri Guru Teg Bahadur ji and Sri Guru Gobind
Singh ji, who had waged a relentless battle against injustice, tyranny
and oppression to safeguard the human rights of the innocent and
helpless people. He said that despite of their small population in the
country the Punjabis have played a vanguard role in defending the
borders of country besides making country self sufficient in food
production. He commended the people of Punjab for maintaining
communal harmony, peace and amity in the state adding he said that
these factors were all the more important to ensure all round
development and prosperity in the state.
The Chief Minister further said that the state government has taken a
number of initiatives to preserve the rich cultural heritage of state
by constructing a number of memorials across the state. He said the
SAD-BJP government in consonance with this ideology has already
constructed state of art Virasat-e-Khalsa memorial at Sri Anandpur
Sahib, memorials of big and small holocaust in Kup Rahira and Kahnuwan
respectively and Baba Banda Singh Bahadur War memorial at Chappar
Chiri. Likewise, Mr. Badal said that Jang-e-Azaadi memorial at
Kartarpur near Jalandhar being constructed to showcase unparalleled
role of Punjabis in the national freedom struggle adding that
state-of-the-art War Heroes’ Memorial cum Museum was being constructed
at Amritsar over seven acres of land on the Amritsar-Attari Road, to
recognize and showcase the supreme sacrifices made by the Punjabi
soldiers while serving in the Armed forces thereby upholding their
supreme gallantry values.
Speaking on the occasion, Punjab Revenue and Public Relations Minister
Mr. Bikram Singh Singh Majithia termed the Dharnas staged by Congress
President Mr. Partap Singh Bajwa as political gimmick and fraud to
emotionally blackmail the farmers whereas his sole objective was to
keep his political position intact. “Had he been sincere in his
approach, he would have staged these dharnas outside sugarmills within
the vicinity of Gurdaspur district instead of launching these
agitations in Nawan Shahr” quipped Mr. Majithia. The Cabinet Minister
said that Mr. Bajwa knew it very well that he has no following in
Gurdaspur and could not secure any support there. His fast falling
graph as a ‘so called’ tallest leader of the congress was evident from
the fact that Mr. Bajwa lost the Gurdaspur Parliamentary seat with the
highest record margin so far in the Majha region even he failed to
garner much support from the assembly segment represented by his Wife.
Accusing the Congress for attacking Golden Temple and instigating
countrywide Sikh genocide after assassination of Mrs. Indira Gandhi,
Mr. Majithia said that it should desist from day dreaming to form next
government in 2017. He also criticized Captain Amarinder Singh, who
was also grappling with the same leadership crisis and severe
infighting within in congress as high command had not yet given their
mind to handover reins of party command in the state. Being frustrated
Captain was left in lurch and now aiming volley of arrows at his
detractors one after another including Bajwa and Bhattal. Mr. Majithia
categoarically said that it was a writing on the wall that only and
only SAD-BJP alliance was also set to make hattrick by securing clear
mandate during 2017 assembly polls solely on the plank of
unprecedented development and prosperity in the state.
Taking AAP to cudgels for exploiting the sentiments of innocent
people of Punjab, Mr. Majithia said that this party has no future in
the state and was on the verge of extinction. Mr. Majithia also warned
anti-Punjab forces who were hell bent upon to tarnish the sanguine
image of Punjabis and were deliberately branding them as addicts. He
said that our stand on this issue has been vindicated with the recent
mega Army recruitment drives in Bathinda and Patiala where first time
dope tests were conducted and not even a single case was detected. He
also assailed PPP Chief Manpreet Singh Badal for joining hands with
Congress despite having been avowed at the sacred native place of
Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh, Khatkar Kalan to serve the people within
his party fold and would never join Akali Dal or Congress for the rest
of his life.
Member Parliament from Khadoor Sahib Mr. Ranjit Singh Brahmpura said
that Shiromani Akali Dal was the true votary to secure the rights and
interests of all sections of society besides ensuring all round
development of the state. He blamed Congress Party for intentionally
creating logjam in the Lok Sabha just to divert the attention of the
people from the core issues of the development which was not only
undemocratic, unparliamentary but also unethical and derogatory.
Earlier in his welcome address local MLA Mr. Manjit Singh Manna
highlighted the problems of his constituency and demanded immediate
rectifications of faulty sewerage system in the holy town of Baba
Bakala. He also thanked Mr. Badal for always resolving the issues
pertaining to his constituency on priority and he hoped that the
problem of sewerage system would also be resolved soon.
Prominent amongst others, who were present on the occasion included
Cabinet Minister Mr. Gulzar Singh Ranike, former SGPC Chief Bibi Jagir
Kaur, Chief Parliamentary Secretaries Mr. Virsa Singh Valtoha, Mr.
Amarpal Singh Boni, former Member Rajya Sabha Rajmohinder Singh
Majitha,
