Newly-appointed Punjab Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh formally took the charge at a rally here on Tuesday, where his party presented a show of strength and unity and he blasted the state’s ruling SAD-BJP alliance.
Singh was seated next to outgoing president Pratap Singh Bajwa who was flanked by Campaign Committee chief Ambika Soni, in an apparent show of unity in the party’s state unit, which was engaged in internal wrangling for the past over a year.
Coming down heavily on the Akalis in his over 30-minute speech at the Badals’ bastion here Singh charged, “They have ruined the state. They have created a mess and if they think they can get away with it, they are mistaken,” he said.
Amarinder accused them of the Friday’s Muktsar bus accident and Abohar Dalit murder case saying they should own responsibility.
He sought an answer from the Akalis into the Kotkapura firing incident and the incidents of sacrilege.
Commenting on series of incidents of sacrilege and alleged breakdown of law and order machinery, Amarinder questioned, “Is this autocracy or democracy? What is happening in Punjab? People of Punjab are not going to tolerate this.”
Amarinder took holy book ‘Gutka Sahib’ in his hand and promised to end drug pedalling, punish guilty, end corruption, cancel false cases against his party workers and end alleged high-handedness of police.
“We cannot let our youth to be consumed by the drugs and I promise you I will eradicate this problem within few months only,” he said amidst thunderous applause from the crowd.
Speaking at the ‘Badlav rally’, Amarinder focussed also on 2017 elections and made several promises if Congress forms the next government in the state.
If Congress forms the next government we will stop auctioning land of the farmers who may have defaulted on loans and provide subsidy to the industry to buy land to set up units in Punjab, he said.
“We will talk to banks to provide relief to the farmers.”
“Buoyed by the presence of huge number of people” and several party leaders including all the MLAs, MPs and office bearers from the state, Amarinder said this rally would mark the “beginning of the end for the Akalis.
Holding Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal directly
responsible for sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib in Bargari, he said, “if scope of the CBI inquiry is widened and police action included the finger will be pointed to Badals only”.
He said Badal wanted public attention diverted so he “ordered” sacrilege of the holy book “without realising it will mark the beginning of his end.”
Referring to the alleged control of the Badals over the religious institutions like SGPC, he said, while the Congress, being a secular party, cannot participate in these elections, he will personally support anyone who will oppose them.
He said, the Congress will end Badals’ alleged monopoly over cable distribution and transport business if his party form the next government.
“They will no longer be allowed to operate multiple buses on a single permit. While they can operate one permissible bus on one permit, rest of the route permits will be distributed among the unemployed youth,” he said.
He also announced Shagun scheme amount will be enhanced to Rs 51,000 and the old age and widow pension will be enhanced to Rs 2000 per month, if they form the next government.
“Free electricity to the Dalits will be extended to 300 units per month against the current 200 units,” he said.
The former CM hold today’s rally in the Malwa heartland, apparently accepting challenge of Deputy CM and SAD President Sukhbir Singh Badal to hold a rally, and appeared satisfied with the public response.
Striking a direct chord with the people of the region, he said his ancestors came from Jaisalmer here in 13th century, much before they shifted their base in Patiala.
Addressing the gathering, he took pot shots at Sukhbir who had called him an “old lion” saying the presence of people is his response to the remark.
“I have accepted the challenge of Chhota Badal (Sukhbir) and request you to show your solidarity with me and remove them from the roots,” he told the gathering, charging the ruling combine was working in a “Hitlerian manner”.