Photo Source: Babushahi Bureau
CM from whose frontman & nephew Rs 10 crore was recovered by ED cannot be a poor CM – Sukhbir Badal
Babushahi Bureau
Ludhiana, February 7, 2022: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal today said a chief minister from whose frontman and nephew Rs 10 crore in cash and gold and ill-gotten property papers of Rs 56 crore had been recovered by the Enforcement Directorate could not be called poor by any yardstick.
The SAD president was answering a query regarding Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s claim that Channi was a poor chief minister.
He said it was known that Channi, who had graduated from delineating illegal colonies to becoming a sand mafia kingpin, was worth more than Rs 500 crore.
“If we are to use Rahul Gandhi’s yardstick to measure Channi’s wealth then even the Gandhi family is very poor”.
Asserting that chief minister Charanjit Channi had not only betrayed Punjabis but even the scheduled caste community as well as weaker sections of society, Badal asked Channi to explain why he had never raised his voice in favor of the scheduled caste community and weaker sections.
He said it was a fact that Channi was a cabinet minister for nearly five years before becoming the chief minister.
“However he did not raise his voice to protect the interest of 4.5 lakh scheduled caste students who were not only denied SC scholarship but whose scholarship was embezzled by his cabinet colleague – Sadhu Singh Dharamsot”.
He said similarly Channi did not object to the scrapping of lakhs of blue cards which entitled weaker sections to subsidized ration.
Badal also made it clear that no amount of announcements of the chief ministerial face could save the Congress party.
“The Congress party’s ship is sinking by the day in Punjab”. When queried, Badal said Pradesh Congress Navjot Sidhu had maintained that he would not work as a showpiece horse but now Rahul Gandhi had not only tied the horse but also locked it in the stable.
When queried about AAP Convener Arvind Kejriwal, the SAD President said five years back Kejriwal had asked for votes by making grandiose promises to Punjabis.
“However he did not come back to the State for five years. Eleven of his twenty legislators even left the party. Today he has come back to the State to sell party tickets and earn crores of rupees. He has even given tickets to history sheeters and those with shady pasts. AAP’s Ludhiana North candidate Madan Lal Bagga was expelled from the SAD following complaints of his questionable dealings. The party’s Ludhiana Central candidate is a rape accused. AAP’s Sanaur candidate is a proclaimed offender and has now left the campaign midway”.
Badal also addressed public gatherings in support of R D Sharma in Ludhiana North during his tour to the city.
He said the law and order situation had collapsed during Congress's rule because its ministers and legislators patronized gangsters.
“This is why extortions and ransom calls became the norm during the last five years”.
He promised to put an end to gangster culture once and for all.
The SAD president said AAP and its Convener Arvind Kejriwal had never stood up for Punjab.
“Kejriwal has constantly taken an anti-Punjab stance in the Supreme Court on all important issues concerning the State. This includes transferring the river water rights of the State to Haryana and Delhi, closure of four thermal plants of Punjab, and even demand to register criminal cases against farmers of Punjab who had burnt their paddy stubble in desperation after failing to get any help from the State”.
Badal, who received a rousing welcome across the city, also held public meetings at Chandar Nagar and Deep Nagar besides holding the door-to-door campaign in Chawni Mohalla. He also paid obeisance at Gurdwara Sekhewal.