 "Amarinder Singh")
A day after Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal took a dig at his mass outreach campaign, state Congress Chief Amarinder Singh hit back at him saying Badal's 'Sangat Darshan' programme remains "selective" while his is "open for all".
"While Badal's Sangat Darshan remains selective as people are screened and selected before being allowed in, the Congress' outreach programme is open for all," he said here dismissing Badal's claim that his campaign was "similar" to the Chief Minister's 'Sangat Darshan' programme.
The Amritsar MP said "people come with their problems here which are being recorded and documented and will be solved without any discrimination once Congress forms the government (in Punjab)".
During the recently-launched six-month campaign, the former Chief Minister will spend a day in each of the 117 Assembly segments to establish a direct contact with voters ahead of the 2017 Assembly polls in the state.
Earlier, during a two-hour question-answer session with the locals, Amarinder promised that "all those guilty of drug peddling and corruption will be firmly dealt with".
"It is a matter of six more months and I will personally see to it that all those guilty of pushing our youth into drugs are not only put behind the bars but they spend the rest of their lives there for the heinous crime they have committed of killing our youth with drugs," he said, adding that corruption will be curbed with "an iron fist".
Replying to a question on procurement of foodgrains, the Congress leader assured farmers that it was a matter of one more season and the "better days" will return soon reminding them that how during his tenure as chief minister, crops were lifted on time and payments made within 24 hours.
Responding to a demand of the locals, Amarinder promised to set up industry in the area for generating employment.
As regards the emotive Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal issue and Badal's claim that he had repealed section 5 of the Termination of Water Sharing Agreements Act, the former chief minister said it had nothing to do with SYL as it only protected the water the other states are getting since 1955.
Around 5,000 people, including 2,200 women turned up at Amarinder's 'Lokan Da Durbar', a part of the campaign.
He also interacted with nearly 2,000 party workers who voiced the issues of their respective constituencies and put forward suggestions for the party campaign.
