Ahead of polls, Badal plays safe,

says‘panth’ in danger( badals war cry)

Claims if AAP forms govt, it will demolish various memorials

Vishav Bharti

Tribune News Service

Fatehgarh Sahib, December 26

Exactly five years ago at the same place if Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal sought votes “to complete the unfinished works of his life”, this time he reminded people to be ready for sacrifice as “everybody is our enemy”.Addressing the Akali Dal’s conference at the Jor Mela, the CM today raised the “panthic” issues. He reminds the gathering that the Congress is the same party which started digging the SYL canal; which denied Capital city Chandigarh and Punjabi-speaking areas to Punjab; which demolished democracy with Emergency.Remember how bullets pierced through the pages of Guru Granth Sahib; how Darbar Sahib was demolished; how Sikhs were burnt alive in Delhi. He is picturesque when he talks about Operation Bluestar and the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.The pandal is full with blue and orange turbaned men having white beard. It is difficult to spot youth. In-between, one or two supporters call “jaikaras”, but the response is lacklustre.“The Congress has irrelevantly meddled not only in social, economic and political, but also the religious matters of the state,” he says, calling the Congress anti-Punjab.He mentions that during his tenure, memorials have been built in memory of almost every Sikh martyr. “We have left none,” he says. He speaks about the recent yatras started to religious places. “If they (AAP) come to power, they will demolish all the yadgaars, we have built,” he adds.He asks supporters to be ready for a fight. “You don’t know what sacrifice you may have to make? “’Patta-patta’ (every particle) is our enemy”.Don’t let ‘topiwalaas’ enter Punjab: SukhbirJust before CM, his deputy Sukhbir Badal referred AAP leaders as “topiwaalas” saying that the party which doesn’t have respect for the Sikhs and their religious places doesn’t deserve place in Punjab. Badal sahib, he said, had remained the CM for five terms and whatever development took place it was only during his tenure.“Which government has done more,” he asked. He called Bhagwant Mann an alcoholic and claimed how he entered gurdwars even when drunk. “Let topiwalaas not enter Punjab. Let it be raj of Khalsa and raj of Punjabis. They are enemies of Punjab,” he said. On the Congress, he said Capt Amarinder Singh was making false promises of waiving loans of farmers.

Don’t let ‘topiwalas’ enter Punjab: Sukhbir

• Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal referred to AAP leaders as “topiwalas”, saying that the party which doesn’t have respect for Sikhs and their religious places doesn’t deserve a place in Punjab. Badal sahib, he said, had remained the CM for five terms and whatever development took place itwas only during his tenure.
• “Which government has done more,” he asked. He called Bhagwant Mann an alcoholic and claimed how he entered gurdwars even when drunk. “Let topiwalas not enter Punjab. Let it be raj of Khalsa and raj of Punjabis. They are enemies of Punjab,” he said. On the Congress, he said Capt Amarinder Singh was making false promises of waiving loans of farmers

Capt tries to woo farmers, youth, slams Badals

All main political parties turned up to attend the last Jor Mela before the high­stakes assembly polls. The leaders of rival outfits traded charges and tried to outdo each other on Panthic issues. The desperation to win polls was writ large as they made b

When I am talking about farmers being in deep stress and in need of loan waiver, how can I levy power charges? Let me make it clear that not a single subsidy will be withdrawn after the Congress forms government in Punjab CAPT AMARINDER SINGH, Punjab Congress chief

From page 1 FATEHGARHSAHIB: In the last Shaheedi Jor Mela rally before the poll code comes into force in the state, Punjab Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh focused on farmers and youngsters in an attempt to woo them back to the party.

BHARAT BHUSHAN/HT(From left) Nabha MLA Sadhu Singh Dharamsot, Punjab Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh, legislators Kaka Randeep Singh (Amloh) and Gurkirat Singh Kotli (Khanna) at the mela in Fatehgarh Sahib on Monday.

Besides promising loan waiver to farmers and a job in each household, Amarinder also lashed out at chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and his son and deputy Sukhbir, promising to put them behind the bars if found guilty of religious sacrilege and drug trade, in an attempt to match the Aam Aadmi Party’s tirade against the ruling family.

“For me, you and Punjab is my family, and am concerned about all your worries. For Badals, Punjab is only for doing business, be it hotels, transport or any other trade. They are running the government like a business venture, benefiting only their family. I will bring to an end this ‘private limited company rule’ of Badals,” said Amarinder.

The former chief minister charged the ruling SAD-BJP combine with misinforming the electorate that, if voted to power, he will stop power subsidy.

“When I am talking about farmers in deep stress and in need of loan waiver, how can I levy power charges? Let me make it clear that not a single subsidy will be withdrawn after the Congress forms government in Punjab,” he said, promising even more subsidies to the needy.

Playing the emotive card before an impressive gathering, Amarinder condemned the spate of sacrilege incidents in the recent months, saying such “religious attacks” will not be tolerated and those responsible will be punished.

“Guru Granth Sahib, Bhagwad Gita and Quran — all holy books were desecrated under the Badal rule. The police failed to identity the real culprits, as it’s part of the Akali’s sinister design to divert public attention,” he said.

‘BADALS PROMOTING OWN INTEREST’

Appealing to the people to vote for the Congress to “save” the state from Badals and revenue minister Bikram Singh Majithia, Amarinder reiterated that they were only interested in promoting their own interests and filling their pockets. He questioned from where the Badals got the money for Sukhvilas (luxurious villas opened at New Chandigarh) and other personal projects and businesses.

Accusing Majithia of selling drugs, Amarinder said he had ruined an entire generation of youth in Punjab. “Deprived of employment, the youth are being pushed into drug abuse by the Badals and Majithia, who are patronising the drug mafia,” he said. Earlier, rally organiser and local MLA Kuljit Singh Nagra along with fellow legislators Sadhu Singh Dharamsot (Nabha) and Kaka Randeep Singh (Amloh) and Bassi Pathana candidate Gurpreet Singh addressed the gathering.

Not in yet, Sidhu already on Cong posters in Amritsar

AMRITSAR: Former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member of Parliament (MP) Navjot Singh Sidhu is yet to join the Congress, but the cricketer-turned-politician is already being projected as a Congress leader as his photo appears in the posters carrying photographs of top leaders of the Congress.

HT PHOTOCricketer­turned­politician Navjot Singh Sidhu on Congress posters in Amritsar.

Sidhu is likely to contest the assembly polls from Amritsar (east) segment and the posters with Sidhu’s photo have been pasted in almost all parts of the constituency.

With his wife Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu being the sitting MLA from the constituency, the Sidhu camp has got printed thousands of posters and pasted them in major areas of the segment.

The posters carry the pictures of the Sidhu couple, AICC chief Sonia Gandhi, party vice-president Rahul Gandhi, PPCC chief Capt Amarinder Singh, Punjab affairs in-charge Asha Kumari and Priyanka Gandhi

 

Cong won’t spare sacrilege accused, says Amarinder

Accuses govt of failing to stop desecration of Guru Granth Sahib

Sanjay Bumbroo

Tribune News Service

Fatehgarh Sahib, Dec 26

State Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh today accused the SAD-BJP government of failing to stop the desecration of Guru Granth Sahib. Addressing the party’s conference at the Shaheedi Jor Mela here, Amarinder condemned the spate of incidents of sacrilege in the state in recent months. He promised that those responsible for such acts would be thrown into jail once the Congress formed the government.He appealed to the people to vote for the Congress to save the state from the Badals and Bikram Singh Majithia, who were only interested in promoting their interests and filling their pockets. He said the drug problem was so widespread that many villages of Amritsar were without a single surviving male member as all had fallen victim to chitta.The PPCC chief also attacked the Badals over the 300-odd political appointments made recently, allegedly in violation of all norms to accommodate their own people ahead of the imposition of the code of conduct.Amarinder said no public subsidy would be withdrawn by his government after coming to power. “The Congress government will not only continue to give free power to the farm sector but also reduce the power tariff for the industrial and commercial consumers,” he announced.Reiterating that not a drop of water would be allowed to go out of Punjab, Amarinder declared, “The Akali government failed to protect the state’s rights in the SYL case, but I will fight it out till my last breath.”