Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
CHANDIGARH, November 14: Asking the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to come out of his hibernation and break his self imposed ‘vow of silence’, Congress Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha Capt Amarinder Singh today said that he (Mr Badal) had again let down the state by virtually running away from the situation and leaving his second rung leaders to defend him and his government.
Capt Amarinder rejected the Akali Dal allegations of Congress hand in Sarbat Khalsa. Referring to the purported phone recordings claimed to be those of Congress leaders, he said, “these are totally concocted and our leaders have already rejected these allegations”.
At the same time, he asked, “by claiming to be in possession of the telephone recordings of our leaders, hasn’t the government admitted that it has been tapping the telephones of political opponents which is a serious criminal offence?” Otherwise, he added, how come they are in possession of these recordings?
“It is high time Mr Badal comes out of the hiding and hibernation and owns up what is happening around as he happens to be the Chief Minister of the state”, he remarked while criticising the continued silence of the Chief Minister when the state was passing through such a sensitive stage.
The former Chief Minister said, it was so characteristic of Mr Badal to push the situation to the brink and run away himself and go into hiding. “And he is precisely repeating the same thing now”, he remarked, adding, just because he does not have the option to run away as he happens to be the Chief Minister, he has timidly gone into hiding and is avoiding the public”.
Capt Amarinder reminded Mr Badal that he has always been boasting about his love to be seen among the people. “But strangely you have chosen to hide when your response and appearance as the head of the government is required the most”, he said.
“You have often claimed to love to be among the people, how come you have gone into such a long mode of isolation”, he asked Mr Badal, while adding, “why not hold a Sangat Darshan now, when it is required the most”.
Taking a gibe at Mr Badal’s Sangat Darshan, he said, “as I have often maintained that those Sangat Darshans were only his favourite pastime without any purpose or intention of helping people and he (Mr Badal) is proving me right”.
He added, had Mr Badal really been concerned about the public good he would have come out and held Sangat Darshans now and met the public and addressed their grievances. “But knowing him so well, he will never do that as he does things only to please himself and not to serve the people”, he remarked, adding, “he may not even be bothered about what is happening in Punjab as long as it does not endanger his throne”.
