SAD will not let govt charge tubewell power bills from farmers: Sukhbir
FARIDKOT : The Shiromani Akali Dal will not let Capt Amarinder Singh-led Congress government charge Punjab farmers electricity bills for tubewells, party president Sukhbir Badal said on Tuesday.
Sukhbir, who was addressing a ‘poll khol rally’ at Moga’s Baghapurana, said the farmers should inform the Akali workers whenever power corporation officials come to install electricity meters at their tubewells.
He accused the government of being selective while shortlisting farmers for loan waiver and not waiving their debt completely. The former deputy chief minister claimed that the Congress has failed to fulfil its poll promises such as providing free smartphones to the youth.
The SAD had also promised free laptops and data cards to the youths in the 2012 assembly elections and failed to keep the promise during its tenure that followed.
“The SAD will organise the World Kabaddi League without the government’s support this year as the Congress government failed to organise the World Cup due to vendetta politics,” Sukhbir said.
He alleged that Congress leaders are collecting ‘goonda tax’ which is creating fear among industrialists in the state, terming Baghapurana MLA Darshan Singh Brar a gangster for lodging fake cases against Akali workers.
“The Congress made false claims that our party was behind Guru Granth Sahib sacrilege incidents which took place at Faridkot’s Bargari in 2015. The SAD can never think of it,” he said. Former cabinet minister Bikram Singh Majithia alleged that MLA Brar has sold the Baghapurana municipal council president’s post for ₹35 lakh and that is the reason he did not let Akali Dal candidates file their nominations in the polls in December.
BJP GIVES RALLY A MISS
The SAD’S alliance partner Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) gave the ‘poll-khol rally at Baghapurana a miss. Asked about this, Sukhbir said that the BJP leaders might be busy in something else.
CONGRESS HITS BACK
Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar said the government has successfully lifted two crops of farmers and will not let the grain rot in the mandis.
The farmer loan waiver process has been started, he said. “The Congress government already eradicated the ‘goonda Tax’ being run by the truck unions while now genuine complaints about ‘Goonda Tax’ will be also addressed,” said Jakhar.
MLA Brar said, “Why should I take money when the Congress is winning the MC polls.”