Cong, Akalis spar over relief to Dussehra mishap victims

CHANDIGARH: Local bodies minister Navjot Singh Sidhu and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) legislator Bikram Singh Majithia sparred in the state assembly on Monday over the payment of compensation to the families of victims of Amritsar rail accident.

Both Sidhu and Majithia hurled charges at each other and indulged in name-calling, with SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal and other members of the two parties joining the slugfest subsequently.

Chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh also brought up the issue of road accidents involving a transport company owned by the Badals.

The verbal duel between the two leaders ensued as soon as Majithia started reading out his notice for the calling attention motion during the zero hour on non-payment of compensation to the victims of the tragic rail accident on Dussehra. Sidhu was immediately up on his feet and started levelling allegations against the Akali leader who also accused him of cheating the victims.

A few other Congress legislators joined the local bodies minister and the SAD members also made noise. In the din, much of what Majithia said in his statement was lost. Questioning the track record of the Akalis, Sidhu told the House that he was paying ₹8,000 per month to eight families as promised.

When Sukhbir asked the government as to how many people had been sent to jail for the rail accident that left 60 people dead, Amarinder said the government’s job was to help the victims. “Inquiries are going on to fix responsibility,” said the chief minister, raking up the accidents involving the buses owned by the Akali leader’s firm. Sukhbir said the drivers of all such buses were jailed.

While the Akalis later walked out of the House, Congress members continued their attack. One of them even urged the CM to push for fast-track courts to try drug charge-related cases.

Relatives of the accident victims also staged a demonstration outside the assembly with the support of the SAD.

YAD BID TO GHERAO ASSEMBLY FOILED

The Youth Akali Dal (YAD) workers’ bid to gherao the Punjab assembly over the issues concerning youth was foiled on Monday by the Chandigarh police. The workers were not allowed to proceed from outside the party headquarters in Sector 28.

Akali leader Bikram Majithia exhorted the workers not to let the ruling Congress rest till it fulfilled the promises such as onejob-per household, unemployment allowance, waiver of all loans and smatphones to youth it made before assemly polls.