Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal today disclosed that the state government had the evidence of the role of "foreign agencies" behind the 'Sarbat Khalsa' congregation at Chabba village recently.
He said that the evidence will soon be shared with the CBI probing the alleged sacrilege incidents in the state.
Addressing the media here, Badal said recent revelations had also proved that the Congress party was in close coordination with radical elements who had organised the November 10 congregation and also had a hand in drafting of the resolutions.
He demanded that the Congress party be declared an anti-national party in the wake of its aligning with elements having secessionist agenda.
The Deputy Chief Minister said now it was clear that the conspiracies hatched by the foreign elements were behind the recent unfortunate incidents of sacrilege in the state.
Hitting out at the opposition Congress, Badal said that the party was emerging as the axis around which the whole conspiracy revolved.
The President of ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) also hit out at AAP for engaging in running a malicious campaign on social media against the government.
Badal noted that SAD-BJP government has taken a decision in the cabinet meeting held today, to approve life sentence for the culprits of sacrilege incidents, whereas the maximum sentence for such cases was three years.
Promising to uplift the socio-economic fabric of the state, the Deputy Chief Minister said that the state government will soon advertise for 1,14,000 new jobs which would result in channelising the youth's energy in the right direction.
The leader also exhorted the people to reject the divisive and communal politics of the Congress and other radical parties and thwart their nefarious design.
When asked about the burning of "Chitta Ravan" (drugs
effigies) by Congress workers at various places in Punjab, Sukhbir retorted, "who wears white (Chitta also means white colour) turbans, it is the Congress people..."
Asked about the contenders in the upcoming assembly polls, he said, "Let me give it to you in writing today that AAP will get less than 10 seats. Our fight will be with the Congress, they will get about 20 seats, rest will be ours."
"We will get 85 seats...You note it from me today that SAD-BJP will again form the government for third consecutive term," he claimed.
Sukhbir also launched a sharp attack on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, whose party is looking to wrest power from the ruling Akalis in Punjab.
"Ask him one thing, how much of what they had promised to people have they implemented in Delhi. We have information that not even one per cent of what they promised in their manifesto have they implemented," he alleged.
Sukhbir also took a dig at former BJP MP Navjot Singh Sidhu, who had recently floated "Awaaz-e-Punjab" front.
"Look you (media) made him hero and now you have made him zero, he was your creation and now you have demolished," he said.
Sukhbir alleged that Sidhu had no standing of his own and he always used to get backing from his party.
"We used to help him fight election and work for him.. Now he is happy where he is for which he gets Rs 5-10 crore just to laugh (referring to Kapil Sharma's show on TV)".
Asked to comment on recent incidents of violence at various places in Punjab involving liquor mafia, Sukhbir claimed, "we have made arrests".
"Police has got clear instructions to take strict action against those violating law," he said.
At the same time, Sukhbir added, "But we cannot stop if anyone has some dushmani (rivalry) with someone, but whosoever will break the law will have to face the law."
When asked to comment on Punjab Vigilance Bureau giving a clean chit to Amarinder by filing a cancellation report in the alleged Amritsar Improvement Trust land scam case against him, Sukhbir said, "Look, it is not my government or me who has given this (clean chit). Vigilance Bureau is an independent authority and like CBI takes the decision, but it is not the government of India which has taken it. I have not gone through the case, because this department is not with me, but I will look into it what has happened.
When asked that their publicity booklets do not mention
ally BJP, Sukhbir said, "Look, these booklets do not talk about Akali Dal or BJP, they mention the Punjab government's name. It is not a party booklet. It doesn't mention Akali Dal also. It is a government booklet. It says Punjab government, whose face is the Chief Minister. Like for instance, Union government, whose face is Modi ji".
Replying to a question, Sukhbir sought to clarify things after Punjab cabinet approved the state sub-committee recommendations recently for the settlement of Rs 28,000 crore owed to the Centre against the money received for the procurement of food grains since 1994.
"This is a combination of lot of things starting from 1994. There is a difference in actual rate paid for transportation (of foodgrains) plus there are other combinations. We will give you a complete breakup. If it was a scam (as Congress alleges), then the Union government would not have looked at it that way. They have gone through complete accounts. This exercise has been going on for last so many years. It includes Congress governments and Akali governments.
"We were paying 12 per cent rate of interest on that money compounded monthly. Now, we are paying 8.25 per cent compounded annually," he said.
When asked that earlier Punjab was maintaining that Centre owes the state Rs 28,000 crore, Sukhbir said, "We are still saying that they owe us. It is a dispute going on still. Once the dispute and accounts will be settled only then will it become clear who has to give how much.
"We have asked them (the Centre) to put up a committee so that they actually find out who owes whom and how much. We claim X amount they claim X amount, so after committee finds out the picture will become clear," he said.
Asked about the sub-committee formed to look into regularisation of the contractual employees, Sukhbir said, "the committee has sought some information. We are evaluating it positively. We are also looking at it legally and shortly we have a meeting again."
On a question related to farmers, he said, "Debt Act which we are going to implement is the best thing which will happen to farmers."
Meanwhile, Sukhbir inducted into SAD fold Punjab Congress senior leader and former deputy mayor from Patiala Kabir Das into the party fold.
When asked if SAD would consider giving him ticket in the upcoming assembly polls, Sukhbir replied, "these decisions are taken by the party's core committee".
He said Das was a general secretary in the state unit of the party and his joining SAD "means a very big setback for the Congress".
"He enjoys a good support in Patiala (Amarinder's home district). His joining will give a boost to the Akali campaign in Patiala," Sukhbir said.
Das said he was "dejected" with Congress "which is no more the same secular party as it used to be...
