Punjab Congress chief Captain Amarinder Singh said by seeking extra security cover for his family, more than the already provided Z-plus, chief minister Parkash Singh Badal had admitted to the fear of public wrath and imminent defeat.
Addressing a gathering during “Halke Vich Captain” here on Tuesday, Amarinder said: “Now the Badals are not worried about the defeat but are scared about their lives, safety and security as they fear public wrath. I have been saying that the way they (Badals) treated Punjab and Punjabis, they will have to run for their life. They have already accepted and admitted it today by asking for extra security from the Centre,” the state Congress chief said.
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On September 5, HT had reported that Punjab’s Akali government had asked the Centre to upgrade the security of three members of the state’s “first family” of the Badals.
Suggesting that instead of seeking extra security cover for himself, son Sukhbir Singh Badal and his brother-in-law Bikram Singh Majithia, Badal should better ask for forgiveness from the Punjabis. “Maybe they (Punjabis) will forgive your sins as otherwise, nothing is going to save you from the public wrath,” he said. On the rebellion in the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Amarinder said he never considered the AAP to be a serious challenge. “But yes, I am happy the way Punjabis have tried to assert their authority within the party. The self-respecting Punjabis cannot and will not allow any outsider to rule them.”
{{/usCountry}}Suggesting that instead of seeking extra security cover for himself, son Sukhbir Singh Badal and his brother-in-law Bikram Singh Majithia, Badal should better ask for forgiveness from the Punjabis. “Maybe they (Punjabis) will forgive your sins as otherwise, nothing is going to save you from the public wrath,” he said. On the rebellion in the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Amarinder said he never considered the AAP to be a serious challenge. “But yes, I am happy the way Punjabis have tried to assert their authority within the party. The self-respecting Punjabis cannot and will not allow any outsider to rule them.”
{{/usCountry}}Amarinder also tried to play down singer-turned-politician Hans Raj Hans’ disrupting the Congress Dalit outreach conference on Monday saying “it’s a small thing and such things happen in every party”.
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On loan waiver to farmers, he said the government would pay the loan to banks and commission agents. “We will pay each and every penny on behalf of the farmers to every debtor,” he said. Asked how cash-starved state can waive loans, he said the government needs to have a will to do things. “I know how to generate resources and I have done it in the past.” He clarified that the party had considered all aspects before announcing the loan waiver, particularly the financial situation.
During the interaction, people complained about the discrimination in development, welfare schemes and registration of false cases against Congress workers. He said that cancellation of false cases would be his priority and those responsible for such cases would be punished, including police officials and the Akali jathedars.