Punjab industries minister Madan Mohan Mittal was at his sarcastic best on the concluding day of the two-day Progressive Punjab summit at SAS Nagar near Chandigarh on Thursday.
Mittal, who represents the BJP in the SAD-led coalition government, took a dig at the entire rank and file of the state government, including deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, chief parliamentary secretary (industries) NK Sharma, chief secretary Sarvesh Kaushal and the bureaucracy.
Mittal said, “Sukhbir himself is an industrialist and understands the problems of industry.” His comments led to embarrassment to the government, including the deputy chief minister, especially when he indirectly referred to the current unrest in the state following a series of incidents of sacrilege. The comments also brought to the fore the differences between the coalition partners.
“Till recently, everyone was apprehensive about the summit,” Mittal said, congratulating Sukhbir for making the event a success.
The comments made by the industries minister during his thanksgiving speech amused the audience who were left in splits.
Referring to NK Sharma of the SAD, Mittal said the former is ready to take on the responsibility of the industries minister. “You (Sharma) may go ahead; I will take some other portfolio,” he said.
He referred to the decision of waiver of all taxes on the food processing industry setting shop in the state, saying, “The decision was taken in 12 hours and the deputy chief minister must ask his wife (Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Union minister for food processing) to bring food processing projects to Punjab.”
{{/usCountry}}He referred to the decision of waiver of all taxes on the food processing industry setting shop in the state, saying, “The decision was taken in 12 hours and the deputy chief minister must ask his wife (Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Union minister for food processing) to bring food processing projects to Punjab.”
{{/usCountry}}Not sparing the chief secretary, who was present, Mittal said, “I was told that the chief secretary could take on more burden when I registered my protest saying some work I had asked was not done as the chief secretary was overburdened with work.”