CAPT FlAYS ‘MAlICIOUS’ PROPAGANDA AGAINST HIM ON NRI ISSUE
Patiala: lashing out at the “malicious propaganda” attributing certain anti-NRI statements to him, Punjab Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh on Wednesday clarified that his tag of “outsiders” was only for AAP leaders who did not belong to the state. He made it clear that it was for the supporters brought in by Arvind Kejriwal to handle his party's poll campaign. “It is clearly an attempt to malign me ahead of the Assembly polls,” he said while responding to questions about certain reports doing the rounds on the social media alleging that Capt Amarinder had denounced NRIs as aliens to Punjab and had vowed not to allow them to enter the state once he becomes the chief minister.
Dismissing the reports as “atrocious and blatantly fake”, he said that they were quite evidently being circulated by “vested interests” seeking to isolate the NRIs, “most of whom were staunch supporters of the Congress”. Hundreds of NRIs have come to Punjab specially to campaign for the Congress in the assembly polls,” he added. He said that the “disinformation” campaign had clearly been launched in an attempt to erode Congress’ NRI support base, “but such attempts will not mislead the people”. Observing that Congress had always worked for the welfare of the NRIs, Capt Amarinder pointed out that the party manifesto included several provisions to protect the interests of the NRI community.
CONG EXPElS THREE MORE REBElS
Chandigarh: Punjab Congress on Wednesday permanently expelled three more rebel candidates — Party’s Dirba-I block committee acting president Baldev Singh, Dirba-II block committee president Jagtar Singh, and former Jalandhar Mayor Surinder Mahey — for their anti-party activities. They have been expelled from the party’s primary membership for staying adamant on contesting against the official party candidates. With this, the total tally of expelled rebels has gone up to 21 after they refused to bow out from electoral race in favour of Congress’ official candidates.
Maken releases RTI records listing Kejriwal’s failed promises in Delhi
Chandigarh: Senior Congress leader Ajay Maken on Wednesday warned the people of Punjab against handing over the state’s reins to an inexperienced leader like Arvind Kejriwal, who is on record as having failed to deliver on any of his promises in Delhi, where his party is in power. Releasing RTI documents, Maken said that despite having promised five lakh jobs in Delhi, Kejriwal government, as per records, had given only 417, 176 and 102 jobs respectively in 2014, 2015 and 2016. Notwithstanding, AAP is now promising 25 lakh jobs for unemployed youth of Punjab…It is clearly a false promise aimed at garnering votes in the assembly polls,” he said. Countering Kejriwal’s claim to wipe out drugs from Punjab within four months – a promise he has evidently copies from the Congress, Maken pointed out that RTI records show that the AAP government in Delhi had spent a miniscule Rs 16,000 on its drug eradication programme in the past two years.
In fact, in this period, as many as 399 additional liquor vends have opened in the national capital, giving a lie to Kejriwal’s tall claims on this count. With four of six ministers being caught red-handed on bribery charges, how can Kejriwal claim to eliminate corruption from Punjab, asked Maken, citing several other examples of the deception perpetrated on Delhi’s people by AAP, including failure to end VIP culture and bring in Jan lok Pal Bill.
CAPT RIDICUlES BADAl FOR BEGGING VOTES
Patiala: Ridiculing Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal for “begging” votes in an audio recording going viral in the social media, the state Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh on Wednesday said that Akali veteran should be ashamed of seeking votes in the name of his “laaj” (respect) after ruining the state and subjecting its people to extreme harassment and victimization. “Eddi laaj tey hun main utaranga,” said Capt Amarinder at a public rally in Patiala Rural after playing the said audio recording exposing Badal’s desperation. “Badal has been forced to beg for votes as he knows his misdeed have completely alienated the people of Punjab, who are all set to throw him out by voting against him and his associates and henchmen,” he said.
AAP, CONg WOUlD SEll OUT PUNJAB WATERS FOR PETTY GAINS: SAD
Chandigarh: SAD stalwarts and MPs Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa and Balwinder Singh Bhunder on Wednesday said that only SAD-BJP government can protect Punjab waters while Congress and AAP government would fritter away the gains arrived at by the present dispensation by surrendering the acquired land to their legitimate owners. For protection of Punjab waters, Punjab government is expected to deftly deal the contentious issue by keeping the Union government on its side, they said.
“Given the temperament of Amarinder Singh and suspect credentials of Delhi-based AAP leaders, it is now crystal clear that each vote to Congress or AAP in the assembly elections would strengthen the hands of anti-Punjab forces or like surrendering our water rights,” they said.
AAP leaders said that Amarinder had ditched Punjab by siding with Indira Gandhi in support of construction of contentious SYl while AAP supremo Kejriwal has already submitted an affidavit through his government justifying release of extra water to Haryana and Delhi.
The Akali duo averred that it was not the right time to hand over the reign of Punjab to AAP or Congress individually or collectives as both the parties have planned to join hands post poll to share the spoils of office.
