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CM hopeful of rebels’ return
Badal predicts fall of govt at Jor Mela
Jangveer Singh
Tribune News Service

SAD President Parkash Singh Badal, Bibi Jagir Kaur and Mr Kirpal Singh Badungar at the Jor Mela in Fatehgarh Sahib.

Fatehgarh Sahib, December 25
Beleaguered Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh today claimed that dissident legislators were now realising that the party would suffer if they did not come back under his fold. He said with the blessings of Waheguru, he would again put both SAD President Parkash Singh Badal and his son Sukhbir behind the bars.

The SAD President and his son, on the other hand, claimed that the government led by Capt Amarinder Singh would fall under its own weight.

Even though the Chief Minister claimed that “everyone will be together in a day or two”, the conference was held under the shadow of uncertainty with Congress leaders by and large keeping away from the show. While the entire dissident group of legislators led by Ms Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, including local legislator Harbans Lal kept away, Amarinder loyalists also did not put up a strong show of support on the occasion. Only two ministers — Choudhary Jagjit Singh and Mr Amarjit Singh Samra — attended the conference besides Deputy Speaker Bir Devinder Singh who organised the show in the absence of the local legislator Harbans Lal. Only Patiala-based leaders including, two Chairmen — Mr Ved Parkash Gupta and Mr Hardyal Singh Kamboj — besides Mayor Vishnu Sharma and PPCC chief H.S. Hanspal came in strength to the conference.

Talking to newsmen after the conference, the Chief Minister claimed that the situation was improving for the better with Congress leaders understanding that the party would suffer in case it was not strengthened. He claimed he had indications that the standoff would be over soon, but refused to divulge any details.

At the conference, the Chief Minister seemed to be in a combative mood. He said the SAD President should not give threats to him and the bureaucracy. Mr Badal should be worried about going to jail again instead of issuing threats that he would take revenge if he returned to power, he added. Ridiculing Mr Badal, the Chief Minister said while in jail Mr Badal had first sent a message that Kakaji (Sukhbir) could not drink handpump water and should be provided with mineral water. “Later, they also asked for Coke and new quilts besides complaining of the bathroom. All the requests were met, but I could not create a hotel in the jail”, he added.

Deputy Speaker Bir Devinder Singh, who was the star speaker at the conference, claimed that a simple bail given by a court had been turned into a victorious procession by the SAD during the course of which women performed giddha to celebrate the occasion. He asked the people to decide whether the drive against corruption should continue or not. He even coaxed the crowd to raise their hands to tell the General (Amarinder) “to continue the fight against corruption”.

SAD President Parkash Singh Badal, while speaking at the largely attended conference of the party, claimed that the Chief Minister had no right to continue in his chair when 16 ministers were not supporting him. He said the SAD did not need to do anything to ensure the fall of the Amarinder government as only a few legislators were with him now. He said the situation was such that the Chief Minister may “run away” abroad. Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee President Gurcharan Singh Tohra urged the people to strengthen Mr Badal’s hands.

The conference organised by the Akali Dal (Amritsar) saw party president Simranjit Singh Mann criticising the Akal Takht Jathedar for presenting Mr Badal with a siropa when he visited Darbar Sahib after being released from jail. He said since Mr Badal had brought “a bad name to the Sikhs”, he should not have been given any siropa. Mr Mann also advised the SAD President not to “shake hands with Ms Rajinder Kaur Bhattal”. The Amritsar Dal leader also claimed that the Supreme Court did not have any right to settle water disputes under the international Riparian law, besides demanding a separate marriage Act for Sikhs.

The Lok Bhalai Party conference saw its President Balwant Singh Ramoowalia criticising the falling standard of the transportation and health sectors. He called for creating new laws to deal with frauds perpetrated by NRI grooms in the country.

The Dal Khalsa led by Mr Harcharanjit Singh Dhami and the Bahujan Samaj Party also organised conferences on the occasion.