‘Badal family always on lookout for criticising Congress’

Phagwara, Aug 21 (PTI) Punjab Congress chief AmarinderSingh today claimed that Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal’sfamily was always on the lookout to criticise his party. Talking to reporters at Pandwa village near here, hewondered when the West Bengal unit of the Congress hadwithdrawn its tweet about a controversial remark of formerprime minister Rajiv Gandhi, why were the Akalis making anissue of it. "When the Bengal Congress has removed the ‘big tree’ tweetand attributed it to hacking, why Union minister HarsimratBadal and others, including AAP leader HS Phoolka, are makingan issue of it?" asked Amarinder. The Badals, Phoolka and others had flayed the tweet of theWest Bengal Congress during Rajiv Jayanti yesterday saying ithad revived the memories of the nightmare and bruising Sikhwounds of the 1984 genocide. Stating that the Congress was still open for electoralunderstandings with "secular and like-minded" parties,Amarinder claimed that it was he who had first mooted the ideaof seat adjustments with the Left and the BSP to defeat the"communal forces" represented by the ruling SAD-BJP alliancein Punjab. He said it was ‘Bibiji’ (BSP chief Mayawati) who hadannounced long time back that her party will contest from allthe 117 Assembly seats in Punjab. Referring to former state minister Harmel Singh Tohra’sallegation that SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal had denied himticket as he did not have enough money to contest polls,Amarinder said "the cat was now out of the bag". Accusing the Badals of "looting" Punjab, he said it was areal shame that due to hunger for money, they were now"selling" poll tickets to those who had "money power" anddenying the same to honest people like Tohra. He also accused the AAP of doing the same . Claiming that after coming to power, he will rid Punjab ofthe drug menace in "four weeks", Amarinder, however, deniedthat the Congress was planning to bring in prohibition in thestate. "It has failed wherever it was introduced. Besides, liqouris a huge source of finance for a state. If prohibition isintroduced, how will a cash-starved state like Punjabsurvive?" he asked. As regards cow vigilantism, the Punjab Congress chief said"bad elements" should be kept under check but refused tocomment on the arrest of state Gau Raksha Dal chief SatishKumar, claiming ignorance. Amarinder had come to attend a religious programme at thePandwa shrine which has a huge following among the Dalits. PTICORR VJ RC RGRC