Cong promises were nothing but a bundle of lies, says Khaira

CHANDIGARH/MANSA: The Punjabi Ekta Party (PEP) on Sunday alleged that the Congress government in Punjab had failed on all fronts and the promises made by the Congress during the 2017 assembly polls were “nothing but a bundle of lies”.

The PEP was floated in January by rebel Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira, who will contest the Lok Sabha polls from Bathinda.

The party also came out with a “chargesheet” alleging that the Captain Amarinder Singh government had failed on several fronts, including eradicating drug menace and providing one job per family.

The “lofty claims” of fulfilling poll promises made by Amarinder “is nothing but a bundle of lies and a cock and bull story,” Khaira, who represents the Bholath assembly constituency, said. The promise to write off complete debts of farmers by Amarinder Singh was the most striking point in the election manifesto of the Congress. “The ground reality is that as of now the government has waived only ₹4,245 crore as against the colossal debt of ₹1 lakh crore,” the PEP alleged in its “chargesheet”.

This “great betrayal” by Amarinder has dashed to the ground hopes of farmers and farm labourers, “leading to an escalation of suicides in Punjab”, it said. The PEP said, “as on date as many as 750 farmers and ‘khet-mazdoors’ (farm labourers) have committed suicides, onus of which lies directly on the chief minister and his party.” The Congress government has also failed to eradicate the drug menace in the state. It had promised during the 2017 Punjab polls to wipe out the problem within four months, it alleged.

SAD (TAKSALI) A B-TEAM OF CONGRESS: RANIKE

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and former minister Gulzar Singh Ranike accused the Amarinder Singh government of no fulfilling promises made in the Congress manifesto during the 2017 assembly polls in the state.

Hitting out at the SAD (Taksali), a breakaway group of the SAD, Ranike said the party has no agenda and is the B-team of the Congress. He said the accused in the Behbal Kalan firing incidents should be put behind bars. The probe teams have been delaying the matter at the behest of the Congress government. The issue is being exploited by the Congress to deflect attention of the people from the failures of the government, he said.