Muktsar, January 13
Claiming to win the next Lok Sabha elections, the ruling Akalis and the opposition Congress today resorted to mudslinging and promises in their rhetoric at annual Maghi mela here.
If Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his Cabinet colleagues, including the BJP's Manoranjan Kalia, blamed the previous Congress regime for the “severe financial crunch” in the state, the Congress leadership, led by ex-CM Rajinder Kaur Bhattal and ex-MP Jagmeet Brar stated the Badal regime had unleashed a reign of terror in the state by targeting the Congress men and other innocent citizens and the government had failed to keep its electoral promises, which mainly, included giving jobs to the unemployed and filling the vacancies.
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What happened at Maghi Mela |
Gurdwara Sri Tutti Gandi Sahib illuminated for the
three-day Maghi Mela at Muktsar. |
Listen to me: Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal listens to Sukhbir
Badal, SAD working president, at the Maghi Mela on Sunday in
Muktsar. |
When two hands meet: Senior Congress leader Jagmeet Brar holds the hand of PPCC president Rajinder Kaur Bhattal at the mela. |
Also in the race: SAD (A) president Simranjit Singh Mann addresses party workers.
— Tribune photos by Malkiat Singh |
The occasion became just another busy day for the politicians, like at the recently held Jor mela at Fatehgarh Sahib, in the absence of any fresh announcement by the ruling Akali-BJP combine and no party programme given by the main opposition, the Congress.
Addressing the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) congregation, Chief Minister Parkas Singh Badal urged the people “to be patient with a little will power” as the government would soon revive the state's economy with fresh policies being drawn up. “Punjab is waiting for the revival of its prosperity, but there is need for you to be patient for a little while now,” Badal said with folded hands.
Acknowledging state's finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal, was having “sleepless nights”, the Chief Minister said the government was doing its level best to appease each and every section of society, whether it were the traders, the farmers or the working class.
Seeking mandate for the coming parliamentary polls next year, Badal said it was the NDA government under the leadership of then Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee that tremendously benefited Punjab. “The people of Punjab are committed to the Akali leadership not because of any promises like jobs or subsidies, but the masses elected us back to power because of their commitment to the Akali ideology,” Badal said, while pointing to his re-emergence in the last year’s Assembly polls. He also dubbed the Congress, in his rhetoric, as the enemy of the Sikhs. Badal pointed out the government's proposal for Adarsh schools would be beneficial to children from weaker sections of society.
He urged the masses in rural areas to
adopt the World Bank-sponsored drinking water and sanitation schemes, with the promise that every inch of the Malwa belt would be rid of waterlogging for which the official machinery had already geared up.
Lok Sabha member Sukhbir Badal stated it was the present SAD-BJP regime that took up the matter with the Centre for hiking the minimum support price of wheat to Rs 1,000. “The previous Congress regime under the chief ministership of Captain Amarinder Singh had totally ignored the people’s issues and demands, as we (SAD-BJP) finally came to power and pressed upon the Centre to meet the demands of the people of Punjab which led to the hike in the MSP,” he said.
Cabinet ministers Manpreet Singh Badal, Manoranjan Kalia, Capt Kanwaljit Singh and SGPC chief Avtar Singh also addressed the congregation.
At the Congress congregation, Jagmeet Brar and Rajinder Kaur Bhattal remained the key speakers and they accused the Akali-BJP government of spreading a “reign of terror and targeting the innocent people”.
Former chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh was conspicuous by his absence at the party congregation. . Bhattal clarified that her senior party colleague was “busy preparing for some legal case”.
