Punjab Voting Today: 40.09 % voter turnout recorded till 1 pm, HP 48.63 %
CHANDIGARH, July 29: Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Capt Amarinder Singh today said that under the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, the state has seen total collapse of governance and the people are desperately looking for a way out.
“Whether it is the 1.40 lakh crores debt or 70 percent failures in government schools, it is all indicative of the systematic collapse of governance presided over by the Badals”, he said during the ‘Meet the Press’ programme organised by the Chandigarh Press Club here today.
“Right from the Chief Minister’s office to the level of the patwari and the SHO, the administration remains completely paralysed and this has become quite obvious everywhere”, he said, while disclosing that during his interaction with people across the state he had found that people were suffering from “lack of governance as there was nobody to listen even to their routine matters and problems”.
Congress only option for people
The PCC president said, under the current circumstances people were looking forward towards Congress to provide an efficient and effective government that will deliver positive results on both macro and micro levels. “The system has turned so much rotten that the police stations are not run by the SHOs, but by the Akali jatherdars and this needs to be corrected and cleansed”, he asserted.
Expressing full confidence to form the government, Capt Amarinder said, the Aam Aadmi Party slide had already started. He said, the Akalis led by the Badals had no chance, so much so, they will find it difficult to go to the villages after code of conduct is imposed. “People have seen my government and they are now comparing my tenure with that of the Badals and choice is theirs”, he said in response to a question as what was his edge over others.
Kejriwal as AAP CM candidate
To a question whether the issue of the “son of the soil” will come up, if AAP fields Arvind Kejriwal as the Chief Ministerial candidate, he remarked, “of course it will”. He asked whether there was any dearth of Chief Ministerial candidates in Punjab. Besides, he added, Kejriwal had other minus point that of being from Haryana. He pointed out, all Punjab disputes are with Haryana and where will he (Kejriwal) stand.
Besides, he added, Kejriwal had already exposed himself on the issue of SYL by supporting Haryana. He said, his advocate general had submitted an affidavit in the court where it had supported Haryana’s case against Punjab.
SYL issue and Akali-BJP double standards
Capt Amarinder said, similarly the BJP led NDA government at the centre, of which Akali Dal is a part and parcel and Ms Harsimrat Kaur Badal is a cabinet minister had also supported Haryana by saying in the court that it supported construction of the SYL. “Leave aside resigning from the government, Ms Harsimrat did not even voice her dissent against the centre’s support to Haryana”, he pointed out.
Capt Amarinder also clarified that the Congress government will not repeal the Section 5 of the Termination of Agreements Act, which guarantees the existing water supply to states of Rajasthan and Haryana. He ridiculed Mr Badal for claiming to have repealed that section saying, it was Mr Badal who had started the process of construction of the SYL by acquiring land for the purpose and now he was trying to claim credit for something which he is not capable of doing even.
CM candidate announcement
On the issue of the announcement of the Chief Ministerial candidate by the Congress, Capt Amarinder said, it may be announced soon. He said, the party has already announced the CM candidate in Uttar Pradesh. He said, this had become necessary as the regional parties have been projecting their leaders much before the elections. “Announcing the CM candidate before the elections is a good thing as people get to know as for whom they are voting”, he observed.
Ticket distribution
Replying to a question on the announcement of tickets, he said, these will be announced well in time. He reiterated that winability will be the sole criterion for allotment of tickets. “Even if some senior or sitting MLAs are found to be not winning, we will change them”, he said.
Kejriwal’s allegations against Modi
Replying to a question on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s allegations that he faced threat to his life from the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Capt Amarinder said, “we are living in a healthy democracy and I don’t think anybody would like to get anyone killed”. He suggested that if Mr Kejriwal has got some conclusive evidence to substantiate his charges he should bring these out. Otherwise, he added, leveling such charges does not help anyone, much less the person leveling these.
Naresh Yadav’s arrest
ON the issue of sacrilege of Quran in Malerkotla, the PCC president demanded a thorough and credible investigation to reach the truth. On the arrest of the AAP MLA, Naresh Yadav, he said, it was wrong to pronounce someone guilty before the investigations. “Let the courts find out who is the guilty”, he suggested, while asking, why was Badal government silent on the issue of sacrilege in Bargadi where Guru Granth Sahab was desecrated.
