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Punjab elections: Capt Amarinder dying duck in a thunderstorm, says Sidhu
In no holds barred attack, Punjab Congress chief calls ex-CM a fraud, who neither BJP nor farmers are willing to embrace
A day after Capt Amarinder Singh quit the Congress and announced the launch of the Punjab Lok Congress, state Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu hit out at the former chief minister, calling him a dying duck in a thunderstorm and asked him how many seats he had won the last time he floated a political party.
Also read: Punjab politics: Sidhu aides Pargat, Warring gun for Capt Amarinder
“Last time when he (Amarinder) formed a party, how many seats did he get? He is a fraudulent person. He could not win his own seat and now will his father make Punjab win?” a belligerent Sidhu told reporters in his home turf of Amritsar on Wednesday.
“Neither the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) nor the farmer unions are willing to embrace the Captain. Who is he? Will they touch Paras (touchstone) or an empty cartridge? Whose nose was rubbed in the soil? Who was ousted? Now you are crying like a child. You went to Madam (Sonia Gandhi) with only 800 votes. Who made you president at that time?” Sidhu said, adding that “he (Capt Amarinder) is a dying duck in a thunderstorm.”
Sidhu went on to allege that Captain Amarinder’s wife, Preneet Kaur, who is the Patiala Congress MP, was also not with him. “Will Preneet Kaur leave the party? Not even a councillor is with him. He never came out of his home in the last five years,” Sidhu said.
Newfound bonding with CM Channi
A day after meeting Congress MLAs in Chandigarh, Sidhu seemed to be on the same page with Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi.
“It’s been only a month since Channi has become the CM. What else should he do in such a short span? Electricity rates have been slashed. The price of sand will be fixed. Everything will be done. Whatever could have been done in one month, we have done,” he said in reply to a query about the working of the state government.
Sidhu was in Amritsar to inaugurate a beautification and development project of Ram Talai temple.
Suggesting steps to increase the state’s income, he said, “In 2002, Punjab had been earning ₹3,000 crore from the liquor trade, while Tamil Nadu’s income was only ₹2,500 crore. Now, Tamil Nadu is earning ₹35,000 crore every year, but Punjab is still sitting at ₹3,000 crore. I am not in favour of liquor, but it’s income should be in the state’s exchequer.”
Lauding the work of state transport minister Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, the Amritsar East MLA said due to the hard work of the minister, the income of the department had gone up to ₹50 lakh a day.
Says fix the rate of sand to prevent theft
Sidhu said he has been fighting for Punjab and will continue to work for its people. He urged the Channi government to fix the rate of sand for construction purposes to prevent its illegal mining. “The theft of sand will stop the day its rate is fixed. Be it ₹1,000, 1,100 or 1,200, but fix it,” he said.
Lashing out at the Centre for increasing fuel prices, he said the price of petrol in some countries is ₹35 to ₹40, but people in India are forced to spend ₹110. “Discussions have been held with the new CM and soon new policies will be made not for a few months, but for the next generation. A roadmap will be given. Not 500 promises, we will implement only 13 points.”
On his meeting with the new Punjab Congress affairs in-charge Harish Chaudhary, he said, “The state’s income will be increased and the VAT on petrol and diesel will be decreased in Punjab. It was also decided during the MLAs’ meeting on Tuesday that five to seven political functionaries will be attached to the CM’s office. They will hear the grievances of the MLAs over phone and all MLAs will stay in their respective constituencies.”
