Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
Chandigarh, December 7: People’s Party of Punjab chief Manpreet Singh Badal today said Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, who is also the home minister, has failed to remove the perception of this state being unsafe as evident from the decision of IPL franchise Kings XI Punjab to move out from Mohali to safe environs of Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh or Pune in Maharashtra.
He said this perception got further reinforced due to disturbed conditions in the state for more than a month recently. What was now adding to the apprehensions of the people was the speeches of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal in particular and Sukhbir at the Sadhbhavana rallies emphasizing they were prepared to make every sacrifice for peace and communal harmony in the state that gave out the signal that all was not well.
He referred to the application moved by Kings XI Punjab owners to the BCCI and IPL governing council seeking permission to shift its home venue from Mohali citing threat of terrorism and civil unrest. Company director Ness Wadia has stated that under such uncertain situation, it is not possible to ensure safety of players and fans during matches in Mohali.
“It is being claimed by the ruling political leadership that Punjab is the most peaceful state and effort has repeatedly been made to sell this point to the investors for which industrial summits have been organized. However, the perception among investors outside the state continues to be that of Punjab being unsafe. What has added to the mass unrest of non-governance and apathetic attitude of the government”, he added.
The PPP chief said Sukhbir himself had been talking about the designs of the foreign agencies including ISI of Pakistan to create disturbance in this border state and as such, he was only contributing to the apprehension among the people and creating a scare in the process, both inside and outside the state.
