People's Party of Punjab (PPP) chief Manpreet Singh Badal on Friday questioned BJP chief Amit Shah on the party's alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) that, he said, had not benefited the state in any way and on any issue.
"Shah should be frank enough to tell the people as to whether this alliance is with the Akali Dal or the Badal family as the Modi government, while fully protecting the family interests, has ditched this sensitive state on all other issues. Chief minister Parkash Singh Badal has gone to the extent of hoping that Modi would turn out to be the saviour of pride and dignity of the Khalsa Panth. However, everyone in the state fully understands as to with what this has been bartered away," he said in a statement here.
In the statement on the eve of Shah's visit to Punjab, Manpreet reminded the BJP national president of his serious concern at one time about the drug menace in Punjab and over the state's future.
Manpreet said the BJP suddenly backtracked from launching campaign against drugs from Amritsar and no one in the party was now talking about it. He said the BJP state leadership had even sought the resignation of revenue minister Bikram Majithia over the drug issue as Majithia's name surfaced during the drug case investigation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
{{/usCountry}}Manpreet said the BJP suddenly backtracked from launching campaign against drugs from Amritsar and no one in the party was now talking about it. He said the BJP state leadership had even sought the resignation of revenue minister Bikram Majithia over the drug issue as Majithia's name surfaced during the drug case investigation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
{{/usCountry}}Lambasting Shah and the BJP for "cheating the people of Punjab by resorting to such doublespeak", Manpreet called upon Shah to clarify his party stand on the drug menace, corruption in administration and non-governance in Punjab, as the BJP was an equal partner in the state government.
"The BJP needed the support of a minority as a showpiece and the Akali Dal leadership is too willing to function as an instrument so long as the family interests of the Badals continued to be protected," Manpreet stated.