Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh today said the party will go ahead with the policy of 'one family one ticket' in the forthcoming assembly elections in the state, saying the decision has been taken keeping in view the larger interest of the party.
The PCC president said he understood the concerns of some families which may be affected by the decision.
"But in the larger interest of the party this is the minimum we can do", he said, while pointing out in his own case his wife Preneet Kaur and son Raninder Singh will also be opting out.
The former Chief Minister, in a statement, said, "when we accuse Badal of political nepotism with so many members of his family in the assembly and criticise him for the same every now and then, we cannot and must not do the same thing ourselves".
Amarinder said, the policy will help in creating more space within the party to accommodate more people, particularly the youth, in the electoral process.
The Deputy Leader of the Congress Parliamentary Party in the Lok Sabha said this will also encourage first and fresh generation of new leaders who have not been born in political families but have all the attributes and qualities to become leaders.
"Let us create the space and opportunity for such promising people in the interest of the party and state as well", he said while hoping everyone concerned will understand and cooperate with this policy which has been overwhelmingly hailed and appreciated by people across the state.
Amarinder also questioned the very need of bringing in a
new law for controlling crime in the state.
"You need a firm intent and a strong will to curb crime and not just laws," he said in a statement.
Reacting to the state cabinet's refusal to approve the Punjab Control of Organised Crime Act (PCOCA), the state Congress chief said, "Even if the cabinet approved it, it would hardly have made any difference as this government has lost the will to govern, leave aside controlling and curbing crime."
The former chief minister suggested that instead of searching for means and excuses, the government should introspect, admit and correct its own faults.
"The fault does not lie in our laws but in the way the Akalis have undermined policing and police hierarchy in the state," he alleged, adding, "SHOs and DSPs, instead of reporting to their respective SSPs, are made to report to MLAs and Jathedars, thus making law-and-order the worst casualty in the state."
Amarinder said if implemented and followed properly, existing laws were enough to ensure safety and security of the people.
