SYL row: Talk to me on fast-unto-death stand, Capt to Jakhar

Sunday, 10/07/2016

http://epaper.dailypostindia.com/Details.aspx?id=160624&boxid=58942&uid=&dat=2016-07-10

Balachaur (Nawanshahr) : Two days after he announced fast unto death in SYL canal row, Punjab Congress chief Captain Amarinder Singh on Saturday without ‘disowning the statement’ said that state Congress chief spokesperson Sunil Jakhar should ‘talk to him’ about this issue.

Capt Amarinder said that Jakhar should come and meet him and discuss his stand on SYL canal. “I got to know about his fast unto death statement through the media reports. It is a big statement and I don’t know how he announced it. Let Jakhar meet me in this regard and talk about it”, he said.

The Punjab Congress chief, who was here in Balachaur for ‘Halke vich Captain’ programme, however, did not disown the statement of Jakhar but indirectly emphasised on the fact that he was not taken into confidence by him. However, when asked if he would accompany Jakhar in fast unto death, Capt Amarinder said, “Let Jakhar meet me and discuss the issue first”.

It is pertinent to mention here that on July 7, Sunil Jakhar held a press conference in Jalandhar and announced that he would sit on fast unto death, if Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal failed to get an assurance from Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the crucial SYL canal row. However, the statement of Capt Amarinder brought to the fore that Jakhar did not discuss this issue at any level within the party.

Capt Amarinder and Jakhar’s differences have been out in the open ever since, he was denied a Rajya Sabha ticket. Earlier, Capt Amarinder had announced in Jalandhar that Jakhar would be appointed as Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader but that also never materialised.

Answering a query on SYL canal row, Capt Amarinder said CM Badal should take lead a delegation of his party and meet PM Modi for an assurance in this regard. “CM Badal was not serious about the SYL row”, he added.

On the AAP’s youth manifesto blunder, Capt Amarinder said, “Who is Arvind Kejriwal to seek forgiveness? Rather the person responsible for drafting the manifesto that is Kanwar Sandhu (who put the picture of Darbar Sahib along with a broom on it) should seek apology.”

Replying to a question over the slow progress in the investigations into the multi-crore drug scandal being jointly investigated by the Punjab Police and other Central agencies, Amarinder said that it was the union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley who, at the behest of the Badals was getting the investigations delayed. “Central investigating agencies including Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Enforcement Directorate and Narcotics Control Bureau fall under Arun Jaitley’s purview and he was supporting the Akalis”, he added.