Punjab CM terms meeting of state Congress with Chidambaram 'Political Stunt'
Raniwala, Punjab, Jul 14: Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said the meeting of the state Congress leadership with Union Home Minister P Chidambaram to raise the issue of vendetta cases being registered by the SAD-BJP alliance was just a "political stunt".
Talking to mediapersons on the sidelines of Sangat Darshan programme here today, the Chief Minister said the state Congress was unnecessarily making a hue and cry over the issue and their meeting with the Home Minister in Chandigarh yesterday was just a gimmick.
He said in the absence of any tangible issue against the state government, the Congress leadership has baffled due to which they were resorting to such cheap tactics. As against 20,000 cases of vendetta alleged by the state Congress unit, it has been able to bring to their notice just 39 cases, which too had nothing to do with vendetta, he alleged.
Mr Badal alleged that the Congress leaders were trying to mislead the people by raising such issues but the people of the state were wise enough to understand their dubious move and would not pay any heed towards such cheap tactics.
The entire state Congress today stood fully exposed of its double speak, he observed.
Replying to a query on opposing construction of Operation Blue Star memorial by the Congress leadership, the Chief Minister said it was a part of the strategy of 'divide and rule' which had been a policy of the Congress from last many decades to attain power in the state.
He said the government was committed for maintaining communal harmony, peace and amity in the state but the Congress leaders were bent upon to disturb the congenial atmosphere by unnecessarily raising this issue for taking political mileage out of it thereby creating panic in the minds of people.
Asked to comment on the victory of SAD-BJP candidate in Dasuya bypoll, the Chief Minister said the spectacular result was a triumph of transparent, pro-people and effective governance of alliance over the divisive politics adopted by the Congress party.
Mr Badal said he would undertake a thanks giving tour of the Dasuya Assembly segment from July 26 to 29 for expressing his gratitude to the voters of the area.
Lashing out at the Centre, the Chief Minister said despite enormous contribution of the state in making country surplus in food production the successive Congress governments at the Centre have meted out step-motherly treatment to Punjab.
The SAD leader said the worst thing was that the state has been deprived of its legitimate share in waters of river despite the fact that the state was a rightful owner for it under the settled principle of Riparian law.