Anandpur Sahib, March 9
While the Punjab Chief Minister and the Shiromani Akali Dal President, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, chose the birthplace of the Khalsa and the occasion of Holi to appeal to the Opposition not to disrupt the Budget session of the Assembly any further, the tone and tenor of leaders at various political rallies held here today made it clear they were not only targeting the ensuing elections but also the government .

All eight political rallies, virtually featuring the top political leadership of the state, were held simultaneously but the usual gusto, rush and enthusiasm was missing.

The Punjab Pradesh Congress chief, Capt Amarinder Singh, declared that his party would oppose the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) in any future election in the state. The Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal leadership wanted Mr Badal to appear before Akal Takht while the Bahujan Samaj Party supremo, Mr Kanshi Ram, assailed the Shiromani Akali Dal for its alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party.

The Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) was critical of the government and its policies and accused it of failing to keep its poll promises .

Undoubtedly, the rally of the ruling SAD was the biggest. Prominent political leaders of other parties, including former Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral, Union Civil Aviation Minister, Sharad Yadav and Union Communications Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, besides two Congress leaders, Moti Lal Vora and Ambika Soni failed to keep date with their party workers.

Among those present were SGPC chief, Jagdev Singh Talwandi, Capt Kanwaljit Singh, Mr Gurdev Singh Badal, Mrs Satwant Kaur Sandhu, Mr Tara Singh Ladal and Mrs Mohinder Kaur Josh — Punjab Ministers, Mr Balwinder Singh Bhunder, MP, and Mrs Jagir Kaur, former SGPC chief, Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, Mr Prem Singh Chandumajra and Mr Mahesh Inder Singh Grewal from the Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal, Mr Simranjit Singh Mann from the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar), Capt Amarinder Singh, Chaudhary Jagjit Singh, Mr Charanjit Singh Channi, Mr Jagmohan Singh Kang, Mr Malkiat Singh, Mr Gurkirat Singh, Mr K. K. Bawa, Mr Avtar Henry and Mr Bir Devinder Singh Babbu, all from the Congress, and Mr Kanshi Ram of the Bahujan Samaj Party.

The SAD speakers used restraint in their speeches and avoided individual attacks on either rebel Akali leaders or leaders of the opposition, though attacks on the Congress were scathing.

Mr Badal blamed the Congress for the problems of unemployment, illiteracy and poverty in the country and held that after Independence, it had resorted the divide and rule policy with the sole objective of remaining in power.

He said the Congress whether in power at the Centre nor at the state, was never sincere towards Punjab. Referring to the river waters dispute, he said it was a global convention that only riparian states had the right on waters of rivers passing through their territories. The Congress government at the Centre had discriminated against Punjab by allotting its river waters first to Rajasthan and then to Haryana.

The Punjab Chief Minister said during the 45 years’ of the Congress rule at the Centre, not a single major project — a new rail link, an international airport or a major industrial unit had come up in Punjab. The Centre took money from the state and never invested it back. He also talked about the Thein Dam and how it was ignored during the Congress rule. Similar was the fate of the Shahpur Kandi project the foundation stone of which was laid by the Congress Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha Rao. The last Congress government in Punjab had left behind a whopping loan of Rs 8400 crore.

He said it was unfortunate that during the Budget session which was an important occasion to discuss issues and new programmes the Opposition parties have resorted to “disruptionist” activities by not allowing a debate on Governor’s Address. He appealed to the Congress and other parties to contribute positively and allow the session to proceed.

Reacting to his criticism by the SHSAD leaders, Mr Badal said: “I don’t know for what sin they want me to appear before Akal Takht?”

Ridiculing the criticism of PPCC chief Capt Amarinder Singh that EVMs were responsible for the Congress defeat in Majitha he said these were the same EVMs “which got his wife and Jagmeet Singh Brar elected to the Lok Sabha. It’s like casting aspersions on the brave people of Majitha that they were won over by poppy husk and liquor”.

The Finance Minister Capt Kanwaljit Singh, expressed concern over the reported move of the government to hand over the task of procurement of foodgrain to states, saying this would affect Punjab in a big way. He said the Punjab Government was opposed to the WTO agreement.