‘Capt not in command of govt’
CHANDIGARH : Both the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had made business interests of the Badal family their main poll plank. But after coming to power, chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh has taken the “no-political vendetta” line, leaving ministers and Congress MLAs with the feeling that the government is not doing enough to bring down the business empire of the Badals.
Local bodies minister Navjot Singh Sidhu has launched a tirade against Fastway, the company that enjoyed monopoly over cable business in Punjab under Badals’ patronage. The Congress government has also approved the new transport policy to end the “monopoly of Badal buses”.
SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Monday broke his silence on it by saying the CM was “not in command” of the government.
Sukhbir said Sidhu and finance minister Manpreet Badal, more than the CM, were competing to “make headlines”.
“Sidhu and Manpreet are in a succession battle to dethrone Amarinder. I don’t see this government lasting five years. Sidhu thinks Fastway is owned by me. We have no links with Fastway. I am 100% shareholder of PTC (group of channels). From buses to hotels, every business is in my name and various agencies have scrutinised it,” he told HT on the sidelines of the voting for the Presidential elections.
He added, “I only have a fleet of 150 buses. Others are small bus operators, owning two to three buses. They will hit livelihoods of small operators to hit Sukhbir. All my bus permits are legal. I own PTC, but our government did not pay a single penny to it for running government ads,” Sukhbir added.
At the last cabinet meeting, many ministers wanted action against Badal buses and Sidhu had raked up Fastway’s alleged tax evasion. The CM has ruled out censorship on Fastway or PTC.
‘SIDHU HAS STOPPED DEVELOPMENT’
Sukhbir claimed Sidhu has stopped all development work. “He stopped the water bus on the Harike Lake. Sidhu has also stopped the Amritsar BRTS. Every development work that we sanctioned has been stalled. They are being vindictive against people of Punjab, not Sukhbir,” he claimed.
The choicest of his barbs were reserved for estranged cousin Manpreet Badal.
“My brother thinks he can cut costs by cutting down on tea and samosas. He had fought with my father (former CM Parkash Singh Badal) to be the finance minister. He speaks of diversion of Central funds. How much money he diverted to his former assembly seat Gidderbaha, when he was finance minister in our government.”
‘MINISTERS SPEAK IN DIFFERENT VOICES’
On why his attacks were more targeted at Sidhu and Manpreet and not the CM, Sukhbir denied there was a “tacit understanding” between him and Amarinder to not go after each other. “The CM has no command on the government. All his ministers are speaking in different voices. Proposals are approved and not implemented,” he claimed.
‘FARM LOAN WAIVER TO BE NEMESIS OF CONG’
Justifying his party’s move to corner the government on farm debt waiver and not on sand mining auctions during the budget session, Sukhbir added the farm loan waiver would prove to be the “nemesis” of the Congress.
“The CM announced the loan waiver during the budget session. His finance minister (Manpreet) says he has yet to get details from the expert group. Does the government think farmers commit suicides due to crop loans? Only those with good track record of paying crop loans get fresh crop loans. The government has made defaulters out of good, paying farmers and will cripple the state’s agricultural credit system,” Sukhbir added.
Amarinder is issuing statements without knowing the facts, be it farm loan waiver or growth in revenue. A CM must give responsible statements. SUKHBIR BADAL, SAD president