Congress Deputy Leader in Lok Sabha Amarinder Singh today refuted the claims of Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal that Congress was planning to align with the radicals for the 2017 Assembly elections.
"Don't worry we are strong enough of our own to make you march out of Punjab and we really don't need anybody's help, much less that of the radicals", Amarinder told Sukhbir, while adding, "however we are open to alliance with like-minded parties only and not the radicals".
The former Chief Minister also ridiculed the Punjab government decisions of increasing the old-age and widow pensions from Rs 250 to Rs 500 a month, when Congress has already announced that these would be enhanced to Rs 2000 per month.
Besides, he asked wherefrom will the government generate extra money when it is not in a position to pay the pensions and salaries at the current rate.
"This is clearly aimed at bluffing the people ahead of elections", he alleged, and said, "When the pensions and salaries are pending to be paid for about six to eight months, announcing to enhance these sounds ridiculous".
Referring to Sukhbir's charges that Congress was planning to align with the radicals, Amarinder advised him to read his statement carefully where he said, Congress was open to an alliance with "like-minded parties" only.
"Do you really think that Congress and parties like Akali Dal (Amritsar) are like-minded," he asked, Sukhbir.
Amarinder reiterated that Congress was a secular and nationalist party which had laid down so many sacrifices to save the secular fabric of the state and the country while Akalis, particularly the Badals have been "outright opportunists" changing their stand and commitments every now and then to "suit their convenience".
He also claimed, radicals like Simranjit Singh Mann are a spent force and nobody takes them seriously anymore.
"The very fact that Mann was not allowed to speak at the November 10 'Sarbat Khalsa' should be enough for everyone to understand that while the people were angry with the Badals, they did not support his (Mann's) agenda either", he claimed.
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Punjab elections next year are expected to be a keenly fought contest even with AAP seeking to throw its hat in the ring.
Lashing out at the Akalis and holding them responsible for the flight of the industry from Punjab to other states like Gujarat, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh, Amarinder alleged, they (the Akalis) had "not taken a single measure that would encourage and motivate the industry to come to Punjab or at least ensure that the local industry stayed back."
He further claimed, that during his previous term, he had set up two citrus research centres to encourage and promote kinnow cultivation in Punjab at Abohar and Hoshiarpur, but, the "Akalis closed these.
