Cong says Centre has begun pinning down Badals
Wednesday, 10/09/2014
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2014/20140910/punjab.htm#10
Mandi Ahmedgarh : The Congress has accused the Akali Dal of compromising on the interests of the state for meagre political and personal gains. “But the people will not let Akalis grab power in the 2017 Assembly elections,” said PPCC chief Partap Singh Bajwa while addressing a gathering at Mela Chhapar near here.
Party leaders led by Bajwa and CLP leader Sunil Jakhar alleged the Union Government had already started “pinning down the Badals by rejecting their unethical proposals”.
Accusing Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his deputy Sukhbir Badal of “concealing” facts from his party, Jakhar and Bajwa dared them to make the letter by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley regarding financial package to the state public. They said they wanted the Centre to come to the rescue of the state, but the SAD-BJP government must come clear on grants received from the previous UPA government. They alleged the government had failed to show how it spent Rs 3,000 crore received from the UPA government for solving the problem of waterlogging in the state.
“Had the state utilised the grants honestly, the farmers of the border state could have been saved from current flood-like situation,” they argued.
The Centre’s demand to dismiss the suit filed by the Punjab Government in the Supreme Court seeking sops for its industry exposed the Chief Minister’s claim of getting favours of the Mod-led Union Government.
Denying factionalism in the party, Bajwa and Jarkhar said their ways of working might be different but they stood united as Congressmen. Congress leaders Jasbir Singh Khangura, Jagpal Khangura, Ranjit Singh Mangat, Bhag Dardi, Paramjit Ghawadi and Maan Singh Guram were present.
