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Badal asks Punjab Cong leaders not to 'mislead' investors

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Press Trust of India Chandigarh
Last Updated : Oct 07 2013 | 8:56 PM IST
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today asked the Congress leadership to stop "openly urging leading domestic and international business and industrial houses against investing in the state".
"I am shocked to see Congress leaders feeling panicky on seeing the economic resurgence of Punjab. The Congress is crestfallen that even the Reserve Bank of India has now rated Punjab as one of the three best investment destinations in the country," he said, "...So they have launched a massive campaign to dissuade investors from coming to the state."
In a statement here, Badal said the Congress is jittery that their doomsday predictions on Punjab are proving false.
"Sensing the economic tide turning in favour of Punjab with big houses like the Tatas, IT giants like Infosys and many others showing keen interest to invest in the state, the Congress leadership has become nervous," he said.
Instead of joining hands with us in promoting the state and bringing in more investments, Congress leaders including state unit chief Partap Singh Bajwa have actually campaigned against the interests of the state, he said, adding they have even gone to the extent of telling the Tatas not to be "misled" into investing in Punjab.
Badal said, however, that there was nothing new in this act of betrayal by the Congress leaders.
"They had opposed tooth and nail the setting up of the Rs 20,000 crore Sri guru Gobind Singh refinery at Bathinda. They did not allow work on the Refinery to start during five years of their rule between 2002 and 2007," he said.
The Chief Minister said it was "amazing and incredible that Bajwa and his colleagues have chosen to keep mum over Haryana openly laying claim on Punjab's capital city, Chandigarh, even after a commitment by the Congress government led by Rajiv Gandhi to transfer it to its rightful owner".
"There is a rare and broad national consensus expressed through a unanimous resolution in both Houses of Parliament that Chandigarh belongs to Punjab, but far from raising their voice against its non-transfer, the state Congress leadership keeps a gleeful silence over open claims laid on the city by Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda," he said.

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First Published: Oct 07 2013 | 8:56 PM IST

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