Manpreet thanks Capt for invitation

Wednesday, 05/09/2012

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CHANDIGARH: People’s Party of P unjab (PPP) president Manpreet Singh Badalon Tuesday thanked Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) chief Capt Amarinder Singh for inviting his party to join the protests against fresh taxes imposed by the SAD-BJP government in the state.

“But the time given to join the protests is too short, so we would not be able to join them,” Manpreet said while declining the invitation.

“I thank him (Amarinder) for making an attempt to build consensus against the anti-people government,” Manpreet said after holding a meeting with constituents of the Sanjha Morcha, which decided to launch a protest against the government on its own.

Before the January 30 assembly elections, Amarinder had dismissed Manpreet as a “summer storm”. The PPP had drawn a blank in the polls.

The issue of going with the Congress for the protests was discussed at the morcha meeting, Manpreet said. On being asked about the possibility of a tie-up with the Congress, he said it was too early to talk about the matter, adding that such decisions couldn’t be taken in haste.

The morcha meeting was held at the residence of former chief minister Surjit Singh Barnala. It was decided that a memorandum would be handed over to Punjab governor Shivraj Patil on September 14, requesting him to ask the state government to withdraw these taxes immediately, failing which a “jail bharo” agitation would be launched as per the call given by the morcha at Sant Harchand Singh Longowal’s death anniversary function last month. The morcha activists will court arrest at all district headquarters on September 21.

“The morcha is of the considered view that Punjab needs to fundamentally change the governance and taxation structure. It was felt that the piecemeal imposition of taxes is not a solution to the debt and deficit faced by the government. It only distorts the economy... while burdening the common man with unconscionable taxes,” the PPP chief said.

Besides Manpreet, the meeting was attended by PPP leaders Gurpreet Singh Bhatti, Bhagwant Mann, Abhey Singh Sandhu, Kuldip Singh Dhose; Joginder Dayal and Bant Singh Brar of the Communist Party of India (CPI); Charan Singh Virdi, Ranbir Singh Virk and Vijay Mishra of the CPI (Marxist); and Surjit Kaur Barnala, Gaganjit Singh Barnala and Baldev Singh Mann of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Longowal).