Badals raking up SYL ahead of elections, says Amarinder

Talwandi sabo, April 14
Punjab Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh, while addressing the Baisakhi conference at Talwandi Sabo today, chose to take on his political adversaries instead of talking about his party’s agenda for the 2017 Assembly elections.
Amarinder blamed Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal for raking up the SYL issue keeping the upcoming elections in mind. “He wants to project himself as the saviour of state’s waters. It is on record that Badal was in alliance with the Devi Lal government of Haryana on the issue,” he alleged.
The PPCC chief attacked Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal for his “contradictory statements” on the SYL. “When he was in Punjab, he spoke in our favour, but in Delhi, he gave a contradictory statement. He even feigned ignorance about an affidavit in favour of Haryana filed by his counsel in the court,” he said.
Amairnder alleged: “The state government failed to ensure a fair probe into Bargari sacrilege and Behbal Kalan firing incidents because the Badals were responsible for it. They wanted to divert public attention from their failure in handling crop failures and the resultant farmer agitations.”
Former PPP chief Manpreet Badal, on allegations of his renewing relations with the Badals, said: “There is no truth in allegations of any land offered to me by the ruling Badals.”
Former CLP leader Sunil Jakhar said: “Badal had been unable to get any assistance worth mentioning for the state farmers from the Centre. Then PM Manmohan Singh, on the other hand, never sent them back empty-handed.” Former CM Rajinder Kaur Bhattal said: “Kejriwal was only playing to the public mood by giving contradictory statements on sensitive issues such as SYL.
Others who spoke on the occasion included Punjab affairs incharge Shakeel Ahmad, Youth Congress president Raja Warring, CLP leader Charanjit Channi, Ambika Soni, Patiala MLA Preneet Kaur and Youth Congress chief Amarpreet Lali.