Ludhiana, August 16: The Congress party has taken a very strong and serious note of the statement of the Punjab Chief Minister S. Parkash Singh Badal, wherein he had accused the Centre government of meting out step motherly treatment to states being ruled by Opposition parties.
In a rebuttal to S. Badal’s false accusations, Mr. Manish Tewari, AICC spokesman and secretary, stated that it was Vajyapee government, in with S. Sukhbir Singh Badal was a minister, but at that time no help, whatsoever, was ever given to Punjab from Union government just because the government in state was that of Congress. "Rather obstructions were created by the Vajyapee government to ensure that Punjab did not get anything", he accused further.
Claiming that UPA government have never adopted discriminatory approach towards states being ruled by parties other than Congress, the AICC secretary stated that PM Dr.Manmohan Singh has always sen all the states with a same eye, irrespective of the fact which party is at the helm of affairs. Supporting his claims, he pointed out that had the RBI not been liberal enough, Punjab government would not have been able to disburse the salaries of its employees on monthly basis. "The education in state is being funded through Sarv Sikhisha Abhaiyan. And furthermore, the funds in JNNURM are available but Punjab government has failed to avail its benefit because of non-submission of requisite project schemes, as mandatory in the mission", Tewari told.
The AICC spokesman further lashed out on S. Badal saying that Railway Corridor project from Ludhiana to Kolkata and Ludhiana to Mumbai would help Punjab. "Likewise, during the annual budget, finance minister gives grants to Punjab Agricultural University, because PAU acts as a nodal institution for agricultural related research and other works", he disclosed, while clearly accusing S. Badal of misguiding the masses of the state by issuing false and baseless statements. He also termed the step of SAD of not supporting the N-Deal as "anti-national" but added, "Still PM has never adopted any kind of approach to marginalise Punjab. He wants prosperity for each and every single state and not just Congress ruled states."
Launching further attach on SAD, Mr. Tewari also stated that Akali’s must self-introspect about their conduct, for the unity and integrity of country, after the independence. He also said that rather than criticizing the centre on any delay in installation of Shaheed Bhagat Singh’s statue in Parliament House Complex, S. Badal should follow suit and ensure that martyr’s statue is also installed in Punjab assembly as well.