Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
* Congress has rubbed salt into the wounds of Sikhs
* Sikhs would not forgive the congress this grave sin
* SAD’s support to Bjp unconditional
Maluka (Bathinda), Slamming the Congress party for giving pivotal role to Sajjan Kumar and Jagdish Tytler for upcoming Delhi polls, the Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal today said that this has vindicated the stand of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) that Congress was shielding the perpetrators of 1984 Sikh carnage.
Interacting with the media persons after inaugurating girls hostel at Government Senior Secondary School (girls) here today, the Chief Minister said that it was a known fact that the Congress party was instrumental in the genocide of Sikhs in 1984 in which thousands of innocents Sikhs were brutally killed by the mob led by the Congress leaders like Tytler and Sajjan Kumar. He said that by giving key postings to Sajjan Kumar and Tytler the Congress party has rubbed salt into the wounds of the Sikhs, for which the entire Sikh community would teach a befitting lesson to the Congress party in the coming elections. “It is ironical that instead of punishing these leaders for this heinous crime against humanity the Congress party was honoring them for their misdeeds” added Mr. Badal.
Commenting on the upcoming polls for Delhi assembly, the Chief Minister said that the SAD-BJP alliance would contest these elections together. He said that the alliance would register spectacular win in these elections by routing the other parties.
Replying to another query, the Chief Minister said that the SAD has extended unconditional support to the BJP both at the national and state level. Mr. Badal said that the alliance between both the parties was everlasting. He said that both the alliance partners would soon chalk out the strategy regarding the upcoming civic bodies’ elections in the state besides finalizing the seat sharing agreement amicably.
Terming the problems of drugs in the state as a multi-dimensional one, the Chief Minister said that the Union government must take effective steps to check the cross border peddling of drugs besides taking steps to the check the supply of drugs like poppy husk which were being sold openly in neighboring state. He said that the state government was firmly committed to eradicate the menace of drugs from the state for which were effective steps has already been taken.
When asked to comment on the delay of paddy payment in the state, the Chief Minister said that the state government has already taken up this matter with the Union government. He said that the state government was merely a facilitator or service provider in this case and the real action has to be taken by the union government.
Batting for more powers to the state, the Chief Minister said that it was the high time that true federal structure as enshrined in our constitution must be implemented in the country. He said that the states must be given more financial powers so as to ensure the all-round development of the states. Mr. Badal also advocated the need for dismantling the Union Agriculture Ministry and strengthening the Agriculture Departments in the states, so as to benefit the farmers.
Earlier addressing the gathering the Chief Minister said that Punjab was a true welfare state in the country, as the SAD-BJP alliance government has initiated a number of pro-people schemes to benefit all the sections of the society. He said that special focus was laid on providing quality education to the poor and meritorious students of the state. Likewise, Mr. Badal said that Mai Bhago Vidya Scheme has been initiated to facilitate the girls students to attend the schools by providing them bicycles free of cost.
Listing the pro-farmers initiatives of the state government, the Chief Minister said that the state government was giving free power worth Rs 5000 crore to the farmers to bail them out from the current agrarian crisis. He also exhorted the farmers to avoid heavy expenditure on agricultural implements and avail the facility of using agriculture implements on custom-hiring basis through the Primary Agricultural Cooperative (PAC) societies on which state government was giving 50% subsidy.
The Chief Minister was accompanied by Cabinet Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Mr. Sikander Singh Maluka. Prominent among others present included deputy director panchayati raj Mrs Parampal Kaur Maluka, chairman zila parishad Bathinda Mr Gurpreet Singh Maluka, DIG Mr Amar Singh Chahal, deputy commissioner Dr Basant Garg, SSP Mr Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, SGPC members Mr Jagroop Singh and Mr Jagjeet Singh, SAD press secretary Mr Om Prakash Sharma and others.
