Claiming that the SAD-BJP alliance had completely failed Punjab, People’s Party of Punjab (PPP) president Manpreet Singh Badal has demanded a clear answer from Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president and Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on what gains had accrued to the state during the second term of the SAD-BJP government since 2012.
“The positioning of a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) – led NDA government at the centre was supposed to have helped Punjab get truckloads of money. This has not happened. Apart from deriving personal gains, Sukhbir and chief minister Parkash Singh Badal have done nothing,” he alleged, while addressing a series of rallies in favour of Sanja Morcha candidate Simar Pratap Singh Barnala.
“Your (Sukhbir and chief minister Parkash Singh Badal’s) personal gains should not be projected as the gain of the state. Tell us what the NDA has given to the state,” he said.
He claimed that even the budget had ignored Punjab completely and the state’s standing at the national level had worsened.
“Even during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to the state, he chose to ignore the long list of demands presented to him by chief minister Parkash Singh Badal. Modi did not even give any assurance on the opening up of Hussainiwala border as the second trade route with Pakistan,” he claimed.
He claimed the first shock that finance minister Arun Jaitley gave was the letter he wrote to the state government rejecting demand for any special consideration arguing the centre had already over-funded Punjab.
He claimed the first shock that finance minister Arun Jaitley gave was the letter he wrote to the state government rejecting demand for any special consideration arguing the centre had already over-funded Punjab.
“Then, the Modi government decided to remove the state from the list of 11 fiscally-stressed states,” he claimed, adding that this made the state ineligible for a bailout package from the Centre.
“I wonder whether state finance minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa is happy with the development,” he said.