Captain tries to woo Punjab farmers, youth; slams Badals

Fatehgarh Sahib In the last Shaheedi Jor Mela rally before the poll code comes into force in the state, Punjab Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh focused on farmers and youngsters in an attempt to woo them back to the party.

Besides promising loan waiver to farmers and a job in each household, Amarinder also lashed out at chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and his son and deputy Sukhbir, promising to put them behind the bars if found guilty of religious sacrilege and drug trade, in an attempt to match the Aam Aadmi Party’s tirade against the ruling family.

“For me, you and Punjab is my family, and am concerned about all your worries. For Badals, Punjab is only for doing business, be it hotels, transport or any other trade. They are running the government like a business venture, benefiting only their family. I will bring to an end this ‘private limited company rule’ of Badals,” said Amarinder.

The former chief minister charged the ruling SAD-BJP combine with misinforming the electorate that, if voted to power, he will stop power subsidy.

“When I am talking about farmers in deep stress and in need of loan waiver, how can I levy power charges? Let me make it clear that not a single subsidy will be withdrawn after the Congress forms government in Punjab,” he said, promising even more subsidies to the needy.

Playing the emotive card before an impressive gathering, Amarinder condemned the spate of sacrilege incidents in the recent months, saying such “religious attacks” will not be tolerated and those responsible will be punished.

“Guru Granth Sahib, Bhagwad Gita and Quran — all holy books were desecrated under the Badal rule. The police failed to identity the real culprits, as it’s part of the Akali’s sinister design to divert public attention,” he said.

‘Badals promoting own interest’

Appealing to the people to vote for the Congress to “save” the state from Badals and revenue minister Bikram Singh Majithia, Amarinder reiterated that they were only interested in promoting their own interests and filling their pockets. He questioned from where the Badals got the money for Sukhvilas (luxurious villas opened at New Chandigarh) and other personal projects and businesses.

Accusing Majithia of selling drugs, Amarinder said he had ruined an entire generation of youth in Punjab. “Deprived of employment, the youth are being pushed into drug abuse by the Badals and Majithia, who are patronising the drug mafia,” he said.

Earlier, rally organiser and local MLA Kuljit Singh Nagra along with fellow legislators Sadhu Singh Dharamsot (Nabha) and Kaka Randeep Singh (Amloh) and Bassi Pathana candidate Gurpreet Singh addressed the gathering.