Punjab cabinet ministers Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Gurpreet Singh Kangar and Bharat Bhushan Ashu on Sunday lashed out at the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Badal family for allegedly joining hands with those seeking to dismantle the country’s federal structure.
In a joint statement, the ministers said SAD patron and former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, who kept harping on about federal structure all his life, is silent over his son and daughter-in-law being part of BJP-led government at the Centre which was against the spirit of federalism.
“The people of Punjab will never forgive them for this. The National democratic Alliance (NDA) government is blatantly interfering with the rights of the states as far as fiscal borrowing is concerned. Did the SAD president (Sukhbir) not remember his own party’s Anandpur Sahib resolution?” they questioned.
The party which calls itself the champion of the rights of the states is hand in glove with the NDA government, they claimed.
“The Centre was interfering with the borrowing rights of the states. Instead of opposing this draconian decision, the Akali leaders, to cover up for the crime against the people of the nation, are hatching a conspiracy to mislead the masses by making baseless statements about electricity bills. CM Capt Amarinder Singh has already made it clear farmers will continue to get free electricity,” the ministers said.
Parkash Singh Badal, they said, must break his silence on the issue and ask Sukhbir to resign from the post of the party president and recall Harsimrat from the Union ministry. “The Badals have abandoned the long cherished principles of the Akali Dal to further their personal interests,” they said.
{{/usCountry}}Parkash Singh Badal, they said, must break his silence on the issue and ask Sukhbir to resign from the post of the party president and recall Harsimrat from the Union ministry. “The Badals have abandoned the long cherished principles of the Akali Dal to further their personal interests,” they said.
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