Amarinder flays Badal for defending officers Izhar Alam, Sumedh Saini
Friday, 04/11/2011
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20111104/punjab.htm#7
The verbal duel between the PCC chief Capt Amarinder Singh and the CM Parkash Singh Badal intensified today as Amarinder turned down Badal’s suggestion that the former should not use “unparliamentary” language against him. He was addressing the “Punjab Bachao” rally of the Congress at Jalandhar and Nakodar here today.
“Badal suggested to me that I should change my vocabulary. How can I stop myself from calling a spade a spade? They (Badals) are ‘dakus’ and ‘mahachors’ who have looted Punjab. Badal has claimed that he is like my father. My father was a man of high character and was a class apart from Badal. There is nothing wrong in equating Badal with Gaddafi,” asserted Amarinder.
Amarinder took a dig at Badal and other Akalis for defending the police officers like Izhar Alam and Sumedh Singh Saini, whom they once described as killers and murderers of Sikhs. “It is surprising that they have not only now forgotten all their allegations against them, but are now defending them so strongly and fielding one of them from Malerkotla”.
“They have withdrawn facilities extended by our government to the poor. All Badal is interested is in is getting his own and his son’s pictures pasted on bicycles and even on utensils distributed amongst poor people,” said Amarinder.
Amarinder alleged that the Jalandhar-based Rs 2,000-crore worth Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) was handed over by Parkash Singh Badal to his close confidant and Patiala-based Akali leader Surjit Singh Rakhra and company for just Rs 130 crore. “We will cancel the PIMS deal upon coming to power in the state,” said Amarinder.
The PPCC chief was accompanied by senior Congress leaders, including Jagmeet Brar, the PPCC in-charge Gulchain Singh Charak, Mohinder Singh Kaypee, Avtar Henry, Chaudhary Jagjit Singh and Ashwani Sekhri, among others. The PCC president criticised the decision of the Jalandhar Improvement Trust to give prime land worth Rs 19 crore to the BJP for just Rs 55 lakh.
On the other hand, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal advised Amarinder to mind his “abusive” and “unparliamentary” language at his rallies. “Amarinder should rather focus on his party agenda,”, he said.
