Congress lauds Harsimrat's appeal to youth to come forward to vote
Sunday, 11/08/2013
http://www.punjabnewsline.com/punjab/congress-lauds-harsimrats-appeal-to-youth-to-come-forward-to-vote/84638
CHANDIGARH: Congress party lauds the initiative taken by Harsimrat Kaur MP, by making an appeal to the youth to come forward and vote, to bring about a qualitative change in our deteriorating political system and social system.
As we are aware, Harsimrat Kaur MP, expressed these views while speaking at a function by the HT Youth Forum at Chandigarh yesterday. She rightly stated that by 2020, India would be the youngest nation of world with 65 percent of its population under the age of 35. She termed the youth full of energy, zeal and having the strength to even create a revolution.
We in the Congress firmly believe that the youth power needs to be harnessed to bring about positive change in our socio-economic and political system. But the moot questions looms very large over our heads is whether, the youth of Punjab are being allowed the liberty to vote according to our their conscience? Because if there is undue influence, pressure and allurements to the youth, it is highly impossible to bring about the right change.
It is an open secret that the Badal clan in order to maintain their political grip over their traditional constituencies of Lambi and Gidderbaha, have since long been purchasing votes, offering all types of drugs including liquor and blatantly using muscle power of the Jathedar’s to influence the results in their favour. During the last couple of elections, this menace has been replicated Pan-Punjab by the junior Badal, considered to be the best political and electoral mananger of our state. The recently held Panchayat elections were laced with exuberant rates of Rs 5000 per vote rate, liquor and drugs flowed freely in the countryside and ofcourse true to their usual style, the Akali’s indulged in broadaylight ‘Goondaism’ to win these elections.
Therefore, if Harsimrat Kaur is seriously and genuinely interested that the youth must come forward and vote, she must first ensure a free and fair environment for them to vote according to their conscience without any allurement, fear or intimidation. For this like they say ‘Charity begins from home’, Harsimrat Kaur must make a public vow to convince her father in law and veteran leader Badal CM, her husband and the expert poll manager Sukhbir Badal and her brother Bikram Majithia channelizing youth power in negative activities, to allow free and fair polls in Punjab. They all should make a public commitment at the Akal Takhat Sahib that henceforth, we would not influence the youth with money power, neither would be distribute liquor, poppy husk, smack and opium in elections and nor would we allow Akali goons to let loose terror on Youth Congress leaders like Sukhraj Singh of Patti, who was shot dead during elections.
In case Harsimrat Kaur fails to convince her family against these ills, all her tailor made speeches from posh pulpits like yesterday would mean nothing and would find their place only in the dustbins.
