Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
Chandigarh, October 4 – The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today the Congress party’s desperation to put up a face saving show at Lambi after getting unnerved by the SAD’s historic rally at Faridkot had paralyzed government functioning with seven ministers camping at Lambi to force people to come to its aimless and bogus show on October 7.
In a statement here, former minister and senior SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia said despite using all means including enticement, coercion and even intimidation people were not ready to come to the Congress show until and unless the government fulfilled the promises made to them. “The situation has become such that Congress ministers are even being snubbed by party workers who have become thoroughly disillusioned by their own government and are refusing to shepherd people to the ‘sarkari’ show. This is forcing the ministers to remain in Lambi and use strong-arm tactics to put up a show which has emptied the State secretariat in Chandigarh and adversely affected paddy procurement and lifting of food grains from mandis. It has also come in the way of release of crop damage compensation due since one year”. He said despite such a crisis looming over the State, Congress ministers were busing wrangling for joy rides on helicopters and making merry by drinking and partying in Lambi clearly proving that the party was impervious to the suffering of the peasantry.
Stating that people would have come in droves to the Congress show had the Congress government fulfilled promises made to the public, Mr Majithia said it was condemnable that even now, despite a demand from the people, the government was not ready to commit itself to implement the Rs 90,000 crore loan waiver, Rs 2,500 per month unemployment dole, Rs 2,500 per month old age pension and Rs 51,000 shagun besides other promises. “The government has refused to do this despite an open appeal by five times chief minister S Parkash Singh Badal that he will personally welcome CM Capt Amarinder Singh and offer ‘langar’ to all Congress workers if the CM fulfilled his promises. Capt Amarinder should have reacted positively to this offer if he was genuinely concerned about the welfare of the people of Lambi who he once called his own when he contested the polls from the constituency in 2017. The CM’s silence proves that he still holds a grudge against the people of Lambi for rejecting his candidature and wants to belittle them by forcing them to attend the October 7 by using arm-twisting tactics”.
Stating that instead using high-handed means to force people to come to the Congress show, the Akali leader said the chief minister should take action against non-performing ministers identified by Mrs Navjot Kaur Sidhu which included her own husband Navjot Sidhu. “This will at least galvanize the cabinet and government into action to start work to improve its ratings from the present four marks given out of a total of ten by Mrs Sidhu”, he added.
Stating that all this was possible if there was any will and dedication to serve the people, the Akali leader said the Congress government had proved by its actions that it had lied and deceived the people to get their votes and is continuing to do the same. “This is why despite the sit in by seven ministers in Lambi the ‘sarkari’ show is being snubbed by the people”. He said in direct contrast despite hindrances like shifting the SAD rally ten kilometers out of the city, the people would make the Patiala rally a resounding success”.
