Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Friday hit out at Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Badal and Union Minister Harsimrat Badal, accusing them of misleading the people of the State to promote their petty political agenda in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis.
Flaying Mr. Badal over his allegations of ration embezzlement by Congressmen in Punjab, the Chief Minister asserted that the MLAs were supporting his government’s efforts to ensure that nobody goes hungry. The MLAs are close to the people and well placed to help out those in immediate or urgent need, which is what they have been doing, said Captain Amarinder.
‘Incorrect figures’
Captain Amarinder dismissed Mr. Badal’s allegations that the foodgrains received by the State government had not been distributed among the people, pointing out that even the figures cited by the SAD president were totally incorrect, showing how pathetically removed he was from reality.
Taking on Ms. Harsimrat Badal on the issue of fuel VAT, the Chief Minister said if she was so concerned about the impact of the escalating fuel prices on the common man, why did she not pressurise the Union government, in which she is a Cabinet Minister, to put a stop on the uncontrolled hike in prices of diesel and petrol.
“Harsimrat seemed to have had no problem with the central government earning more than ₹2 lakh crore from the fuel price hike but when it came to her own State, which was reeling under an unprecedented fiscal crisis and was struggling to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, she found it anti-people,” said Captain Amaridner.
“If the Badals are sincere in opposing the fuel price hike by the Centre, as they claim to be, why don’t they quit the NDA coalition at the Centre? Why is Harsimrat still in the Union Cabinet?” quipped Captain Amarinder.
