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Sukhbir playing politics by seeking Bharat Ratna for Bhagat

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Press Trust of India Khatkar Kalan (Punjab)
Last Updated : Mar 23 2016 | 9:13 PM IST
Accusing Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal of playing politics by seeking 'Bharat Ratna' for Bhagat Singh, Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh today said Bhagat Singh's stature was too big for honours like Bharat Ratna.
"Bhagat Singh's stature was too big for awards and honours like Bharat Ratna. Bhagat Singh is the greatest Bharat Ratna himself and he lives in every Indian's heart", Amarinder said in his address while paying tributes to Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev at a function organised to commemorate their martyrdom day here.
Decrying the "politics" being played by certain vested interests in Bhagat Singh's name, he said, the Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal was only doing politics by demanding Bharat Ratna for Bhagat Singh.
"But still it is the first sensible thing he has ever suggested in his life after destroying an entire generation of youth and farmers in the state by drugs and the debt", he alleged while taking a dig at Sukhbir's demand.
"Better think of the youth who have been trapped in the vicious web of drugs being supplied with your patronage and the farmers caught in the debts", he said asking Sukhbir to stop playing politics in the name of great martyrs.
However, Lok Sabha MP from Amritsar said he would welcome if Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru were honoured with country's greatest civilian award.
Sukhbir in Nawanshahr today said his party would soon write to the Centre to award Bhagat Singh 'Bharat Ratna'.

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Asserting that Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh illustrated the complete Punjabi spirit of sacrifice and courage, Amarinder exhorted upon the youth to follow his teachings and ideals.
On this occasion, Amarinder also reiterated his resolve and commitment to make Punjab "drug free and debt free" after forming the government in 2017.
"Shaheed Bhagat Singh should be the role model of every Indian youth in general and the Punjabis in particular", Amarinder said.
Paying tributes to the great martyrs, he said, "our future generations must learn and know as how many sacrifices have been laid to secure the freedom and independence of the country".
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As a Haryanvi, Kejriwal will never stand up for Punjab's interests, Amarinder claimed and pointed out that the AAP supremo had declined to accept his challenge to an open debate as well as to contest the upcoming state Assembly polls.
With "not a single Punjabi" in the party and with allegations of sale of poll tickets and molestation of women, the AAP had "no leg to stand on" and could not be trusted to ensure Punjab's development, he said.
Claiming that the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) was "in control" of the Akalis, the state Congress chief alleged that the money given by the people for 'dharma prachar' was being "used to promote the political interests of the Akalis, led by the Badals".
Amarinder accused the chief minister of "trying to spread communal disharmony and polarisation through incidents of sacrilege and desecration" and vowed to send him to jail after getting all such cases re-investigated if elected to power.
"Those who try to divide the people using religion do not deserve any mercy," he said.
Vowing to expose Sukhbir and Majithia for their "patronage of the drugs and other mafias", Amarinder said he would go to Jalalabad and Majitha (the respective constituencies of the two) to show their "true colours" to the people.
"I decided to contest from Lambi for the same reason, to expose (Parkash Singh) Badal and give him a good thrashing for life, so that nobody ever dares to ruin Punjab the way he has done in the last one decade," he said.
The Congress leader said he had come to Dharamkot to take the "wind out of the sail" of Akali candidate Tota Singh, who had "ruined" thousands of people through the "fertilisers, cotton seed and education scams".
He lashed out at Singh and his son Barjinder Singh Makhan Brar, who is allegedly involved in a sex scandal, saying those like the father-son duo were a "disgrace" to politics.
Amarinder said he had prayed to Wahe Guru for strength to defeat Badal, who had "used religion to divide people and destroyed an entire young generation with drugs", besides "ruining the state's economy".
He reiterated his promises of farm loan waiver and jobs to the unemployed youth to wean them away from drugs if elected to power.

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First Published: Mar 23 2016 | 9:13 PM IST

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