Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
Chandigarh, November 25- Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal today asked Congress leader Amarinder Singh to come up with a date and time for his proposed Bathinda rally to counter the SAD’s Sadbhavana show instead of resorting to false bravado and empty boasts to wriggle out of a tight spot.
In a statement here, the SAD president also warned the Congress leader not to try to humiliate the proud people of Punjab by claiming they had been forced to mark a reluctant attendance at the Sadbhavana rally. “You are free to take political pot-shots at the SAD but don’t try to strike at the dignity of Punjabis by claiming they can be forced to attend a public rally against their will”.
The SAD president said the very fact that independent observers had put the five districts SAD Sadbhavana rally strength at over two lakh lakh was gnawing at Amarinder and he had now started taking out his frustration at the people for attending the rally. Urging Amarinder not to let the frustration of his repeated failures get to him, Mr Badal said “it is the people who make and break governments. Don’t try to insult them. They can hit back faster and harder than you can ever imagine”.
Stating that he could only pity Amarinder for making a laughing stock of himself, the SAD president said he failed to understand the Congress leader’s claim that the proposed Congress rally would not import people from Rajasthan and Haryana. “First I thank Amarinder for acknowledging the SAD has a mass base in Rajasthan and Haryana. I also want to ask him if he will tomorrow accuse us of importing people from Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. If I take Mr Amarinder Singh’s statement at face value by the end of the Sadbhavana rallies the SAD will become a national party and the Congress will be relegated to the status of a regional player”.
Agreeing with Amarinder that those who live in glass houses should not throw stones at others, Mr Badal said in case of the Congress leader it required only one stone from the Federal Tax Administration (FTA) of Switzerland to reach India to for Amarinder’s entire edifice to crumble. “Your Swiss bank details will soon be shared with the Indian authorities and the entire country will be witness as to who is living in a glass house”, the SAD president said.
Stating that wishes could not be horses, the SAD president said it was true the scion of the Patiala house was desperately craving for another chance at power in Punjab and this was the reason why he was coming out with statements bordering on fantasy. “Rest assured your ‘maharaja’ ways have been rejected by the people in two successive assembly elections. There is no chance of you making a comeback in State politics. Even debasing yourself by behaving like a lackey of Rahul Gandhi by grovelling at his feet and taking back previous insults hurled at him is not working. All this is happening because everyone has lost trust in you. Trust once lost can never be regained”, Mr Badal added.
