Rattled by fresh salvos fired by BJP’s Amritsar candidate Arun Jaitley, Capt Amarinder Singh on Saturday shot back at his arch rival, stating “his outburst is desperation and frustration and now he has betrayed his actual mentality and mindset”.
“Let me tell you, I have been in public life for the last 47 years. I have contested elections and have won and lost them unlike a man who has hidden behind his mask and always routed his entry through the backdoor,” said Amarinder, the Congress candidate for the Amritsar Lok Sabha seat.
On Jaitley’s charge of his relying on “feudal instrument”, Amarinder suggested that he (Jaitley) should look at his Akali patrons like Parkash Singh Badal and Sukhbir Singh Badal, who had feudalised everything in the state from politics to economics.
“Ask any Punjabi, as you are alien to this place, that who is feudal — me or your patrons, who have monopolised every business, be it the liquor, sand, cable, transport,” he said.
Replying to Jaitley’s question that what Amarinder had done for Punjab, the Congress candidate said, “As far as what I have done for Punjab, I need no certificate from an alien like you, and I think your patrons must have already told you, as I feel it below my dignity to trumpet what I did for Punjab. The people of Amritsar will tell and explain it to you during your campaign trail and finally on April 30 that what I have done for Punjab.”
{{/usCountry}}Replying to Jaitley’s question that what Amarinder had done for Punjab, the Congress candidate said, “As far as what I have done for Punjab, I need no certificate from an alien like you, and I think your patrons must have already told you, as I feel it below my dignity to trumpet what I did for Punjab. The people of Amritsar will tell and explain it to you during your campaign trail and finally on April 30 that what I have done for Punjab.”
{{/usCountry}}Responding to issues concerning Operation Bluestar, Amarinder said, “If you pronounce my party to be guilty of 1984, then you must also pronounce your leader LK Advani and Parkash Singh Badal guilty, who either pressurised or approved the decision to send army in Darbar Sahib.”
Referring to the corruption cases against him, Captain remarked, “It was actually he (Jaitley), who had drafted the complaint, and now was trumpeting it as if it was verdict against me. Let you have patience and wait for the court’s verdict and don’t try to be the complainant and the judge yourself.”