Chandigarh, October 12
Senior Congress leader Capt Amarinder Singh today said Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal and Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal were “lying” on the debt-waiver issue and that the duo should resign for the “breach of privilege of the Vidhan Sabha”.

Not willing to be drawn into the crisis that the SAD was currently facing, Amarinder said it was an internal matter of the party. “I am least concerned what they do within the party, but they cannot fool the House,” he said while addressing mediapersons here today.

Amarinder said when Manpreet took up the issue of the central debt waiver in the House, Badal was the one who applauded him the most. “The CM must know what Manpreet was saying and (he must ensure) that all the information his minister has is privy too. Today, if the government has come out through its bureaucracy to say that the state has no offer from the Centre, it means both were lying in the House earlier. Therefore, both must quit for misleading the Assembly,” he said.

Singh said either Manpreet should come out with the central offer on debt waiver or if it was a “humbug”, then he alone should not face the music, as the CM should be held “equally responsible”. “What was he (Badal) appreciating in the House if there was nothing known to him. Governments don’t function on hearsay. ”

Asked if he, being a senior Congress leader, knew about any offer from the Centre on debt waiver, Amarinder said, “At the moment, I am not sure (about the offer). But as I have said, governments don’t function on a finance minister-to-finance minister level by bypassing other procedures. Under such circumstances, it is unlikely that Manpreet Badal has anything to show.”

At the same time, the Congress leader made two observations: “If Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee has made any commitment -- even if it is verbal -- knowing him, he will stand by it”; “Manpreet makes tall claims to see his name in newspapers, but does not have courage when it comes to taking responsibility for own actions. He chickens out too quickly”.

Hinting that the Congress would up its ante against the SAD-BJP government in general, and the CM in particular, once the Congress’ new Punjab president was announced around Diwali, Amarinder said, “We will be moving a motion for breach of privilege of the House in the case in the next Assembly session.”