Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
CHANDIGARH, March 9: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Sangrur MP, Bhagwant Mann on wednesday has written to Union Minister for Home Affairs Rajnath Singh asking him not to put financial burden on Punjab for fighting terrorism against Pakistan based terrorists at Pathankot in January.
Mann in his communiqué said if the centre government was of the view that Punjab was not an integral part of India and the Pathankot terror attack was not an assault on the sovereignty and integrity of the country, then both AAP MPs including him and Prof Sadhu Singh from Faridkot were ready to get Rs. 6.35 crore deducted from their MPLAD fund.
It may be mentioned that the centre government has sent a bill of Rs. 6.35 crore to Punjab government as payment for the paramilitary forces deployed during the Pathankot terror attack.
A letter dated January 20 says the union ministry of home affairs has asked Punjab to pay for deployment of 20 companies of paramilitary forces between January 2 and January 27 in Pathankot and nearby areas.
Apart from this the MHA has also directed the Punjab government to bear transportation charges.
Mann had also sought an adjournment motion today on the aforesaid issue during the ongoing budget session in the Parliament, the speaker however didn’t allow the same.
In his communique to Rajnath, the AAP MP, said he was shocked to learn from the newspapers that the BJP’s centre government has sought money from Punjab for fighting the Pathankot terror attack.
“Our soldiers both from the Army and the paramilitary forces fought with bravery and courage to thwart the terror attack that came from Pakistan. The land of Punjab has been known for such acts of bravery and a large number of soldiers from Punjab had laid down their lives fighting for their motherland”, said Mann in the letter.
But it appeared as if the BJP’s centre government did not think Punjab was part and parcel of India. “That is why this time during the republic day parade on January 26 the Sikh Regiment was missing and even the tableau of Punjab depicting its culture has not been selected for the fourth consecutive year”, said Mann adding that it only showed centre’s step motherly treatment towards Punjab.
Mann said Punjab was already reeling under fiscal debt of Rs. 1.25 Lakh crore which would further increase in the days to come.
Mann in his letter appealed to Rajnath that if the BJP government at the centre didn’t think that the Pathankot terror attack was against the nation and Punjab not being integral part of India then both the AAP, MPs were ready to part with Rs. 6.35 crore from their MPLAD fund.
