Amarinder hits out at Badals, Kejriwal

Launching a scathing attack on Akali Dal and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Punjab Congress President Captain Amarinder Singh today said the Badals were concerned only about their family at the cost of people of the state and dubbed Arvind Kejriwal as a "liar" who only does "dramas".
Addressing a gathering at the political conference of his party on the occassion of Maghi mela here, Amarinder lambasted Badals for "destroying Punjab completely".
"People of Punjab, especially the youth, are dejected due to bad policies and programmes of SAD government," he said.
If voted to power, the Congress would rid Punjab of Badals and also ensure equitable development of the entire state, he further said.

"Badal (Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh) and 'Chhota' (referring to Sukhbir Singh Badal) are only concerned about their family and never think of the poor in the state," he said.
Farmers are committing suicides, youth is dejected and the industrial sector is in a poor shape under the present regime, he alleged.

"Only Badal family has grown richer in Punjab, while the entire state has become poorer," he claimed.
Taking a dig at Badal, Amarinder claimed that the Chief Minister should spare some time to think about the state as he had collected "enough money at the cost of common people".

The Akali government failed to introduce policies and programmes for the benefit of youth, farmers, industries and traders.
"Instead of opening avenues for jobs, Badal government closed two big industrial units set up during the Congress regime at Abohar and Hoshiarpur," he said claiming that the Congress in its rule had waived off the debt of farmers.
Opening a frontal attack on AAP supremo and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Amarinder said, "This man wears a 'topi' (cap) and projects himself as an honest person, whereas he is a liar."
Questioning AAP's expenditure on the posters of Kejriwal, put up across the state, he said Congress wanted to know from where he got so much money.

How did he manage to pull crowds at AAP rally by buses, he asked while stating that Kejriwal was an "outsider."
Amarinder further said that Kejriwal, who had shared stage with social Activist Anna Hazare, had announced publicly that he would not contest any election nor hold any post.
"Kejriwal is from Haryana and the state is always at
loggerheads with Punjab over several issues, including sharing of river water and territorial dispute. Do you think he, being an outsider, will back Punjab," he asked the gathering.
Asserting that Punjab lacked surplus water, he wondered how Kejriwal will make arrangements to ensure supply of water and power for the people of the state.

He is "not trustworthy," Amarinder said, adding that the AAP national convenor had even ditched activist Anna Hazare.
"AAP chief's only dream is to capture Punjab," he said adding that only those people could think about Punjab whose heart lies in the state.
Meanwhile, Amarinder said that he would reach out to each and everyone in Punjab. "I am aware about your problems. My focus is to do work for the benefit of youth and farmers of the state," he said.
"I will once again make Punjab a strong state," he said.
Further, he lashed out at Agriculture Minister Tota Singh alleging that he colluded with companies who sold spurious seeds and pesticides to cotton farmers of the state resulting in a loss to crop on 14,000 hectares of land.

Amarinder, who is an MP from Amritsar, assured that Congress would create job avenues for youths.
While asking the gathering to vote for Congress in 2017 polls, he said, "I will take steps to curb the drug menace in four weeks. All drug peddlers will be behind bars in a week."
He alleged that Badals are in collusion with drug peddlers and added that "I will put the state back on correct path."
On the issue of last year's incidents of sacrilege, he said that God will never pardon the Akali Dal.
"The Badal family will be punished by the God for the series of incidents of sacrilege that occurred in the state," he said.

Blaming Kejriwal government for failing to fullfil promises made in the party's election manifesto, he said that Congress will fulfill its promises.
"People like AAP's Bhagwant Mann, who is a comedian, H S Phoolka and Kejriwal can never give policies and programmes for the welfare of Punjab," he added.
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Meanwhile, Amarinder warned people against pushing Punjab into five more years of chaos and uncertainty after ten years of Badals' alleged misrule.
He said Punjab needs an efficient and experienced government which can retrieve the state from the social, economic and political mess the Akalis have consigned it to.

He appealed to Punjabis to choose their government cautiously and added that only the Congress can provide a stable, clean and efficient government.
While maintaining that the Akalis' exit was imminent and a foregone conclusion, he cautioned people against the alluring promises made by the Aam Aadmi Party saying it had failed in Delhi where it did nothing and failed to fulfill even a single election promise.
The PCC president emphasised the need for reviving agriculture, generating jobs, improving the atmosphere for investment and industrialisation, eradication of drugs and ending corruption in the state.
"Punjab desperately needs all this and only an able and efficient government can do it and that kind of government can be provided by the Congress only," he said.

He also alleged that though Badal claims to be a representative of farmers, during his regime farmers had suffered the worst.
"In order to save Punjab, we need to save its agriculture and farmers," he said.
Amarinder said Badal could never look beyond his own family with he being the Chief Minister, his son Deputy Chief Minister, daughter-in-law a minister at the Centre, her brother and his own son-in-law a minister.
Amarinder also condemned the alleged misuse of religious institutions like Akal Takhat and SGPC by the Badals.
He alleged that Sukhbir Badal was dictating terms to the Akal Takhat Jathedar while it should have been other way round and said the Sikh community will never forgive them for undermining and subverting the authority of the Akal Takhat and the SGPC.