Akali Dal decries FM’s ‘cheap, vulgar rant’
› He (Manpreet) seems to have forgotten that he and his family looted the state exchequer for years. SAD MLAS, in joint statement
CHANDIGARH: The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Wednesday slammed finance minister Manpreet Badal for turning his reply on the budget speech into a “cheap and vulgar rant” against his uncle and former mentor Parkash Singh Badal and family.
In a joint statement, SAD MLAs Sharanjit Dhillon, Pawan Kumar Tinu and Gurpartap Wadala said never before in the history of the Vidhan Sabha had a finance minister so “shamelessly” stated that he would use the time given for reply to the debate on the budget to settle “petty personal scores”.
“The FM even stooped down to commenting on the last rites of his paternal aunt as well as the istri dhan given to his sister-inlaw,” they said, referring to Manpreet’s comment on a car purportedly gifted to SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal by the family of his wife Harsimrat Kaur Badal at the time of their wedding. “While this speaks volumes about his conduct as finance minister, it is also a reflection on his ‘ehsaan faramosh’ (ungrateful) nature which has seen use of crude and derogatory language against those who nurtured him and made him what he is today,” they said.
They further said it was shocking that Manpreet did not speak about the plight of farmers and farm labourers.
“The FM also refused to give any relief to youth or employees. But he had no qualms bragging that he would bring down the Badal family. This shows his commitment to the people who elected him to this august chair,” they added.
Saying that Manpreet suffers from amnesia, the three MLAs charged: “He seems to have forgotten that he and his family looted the state exchequer for years.” Manpreet was with the SAD — even FM in the SAD-BJP regime — for several years before first floating his own party and then merging it with the Congress. “His father enjoys no status but had no qualms about using the state chopper for joy rides. Gurdas Badal also enjoys use of a jumbo Montero vehicle as well as Gypsy vehicle as security patrol. Manpreet’s father continues to enjoy facility of gunmen posted with him,” they said.
Gurdas had security even when brother Parkash was CM.