Massive personal abuse, little public use mark budget session

Listless opposition wastes opportunities to corner Cong govt on host of issues

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s apology to SAD’S Bikram Singh Majithia in a defamation case related to drug charges just five days before the session.

The government, on the other hand, managed to conduct its business, including getting the budget and important bills passed, without hiccups. When the government brought bills on new taxes for resource mobilisation of Rs 1,500 crore, AAP protested and staged a walkout. SAD members, who left the House after the finance minister’s remarks against the Badal clan earlier, were not even present.

What stood out was that the session was dominated by ugly personal fights, with bitter political adversaries routinely calling each other names. At one stage, former minister Rana Gurjit Singh and leader of opposition Khaira, who repeatedly exchanged verbal punches, hurled abuses at each other. The spat between local bodies minister Navjot Singh Sidhu and Majithia over a drug racket case also resonated in the House.

Closing days saw estranged cousins, finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal and SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal, get extremely personal in their fight. While Sukhbir made disparaging remarks about Manpreet’s competence, he hit back with a diatribe against paternal uncle and SAD patriarch Parkash Singh Badal and his family.

A good FM gives fresh, constructive ideas while a bad one gives only figures. A competent FM has solutions, but an incompetent one will talk about problems alone. He (Manpreet) is incompetent. More poet, less FM! SUKHBIR BADAL, in budget debate

‘PROVE OR QUIT’

Meanwhile, Sukhbir on Thursday dared Manpreet to prove the allegation that the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) arranged langar (community kitchen) at the antim ardas bhog (memorial prayers) of his mother Surinder Kaur Badal, or quit politics.

“I offer to quit politics forever if Manpreet can prove his allegation. Similarly, he should either prove his charge or agree to quit politics,” Sukhbir said in a press statement, a day after Manpreet hit out at former CM Parkash Singh Badal (Sukhbir’s father) and his family in the assembly.

He said he was amused to see Manpreet acting and speaking with the bitterness of a jealous man. “Instead of replying to our attack on his budget, he chose to spend most of his time venting spleen on his erstwhile patron and father-like figure Parkash Singh Badal, to whom he owes his very presence in politics.”

Manpreet was with the SAD and also remained finance minister in Parkash Singh Badalled SAD-BJP regie before forming his own party ahead of the 2012 elections and then merging it with the Congress ahead of last year’s polls.