Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Sunday dismissed the Shiromani Akali Dal's charge of misuse of official machinery by the Congress government allegedly to sabotage Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal’s campaign, saying the Akalis had sabotaged their own prospects with their misdeeds, including their attempts to polarise the people with sacrilege cases“They (the Akalis) had put the entire official machinery in motion prior to the Assembly election, but had been routed in the polls by the wrath of the people,” he said, adding that the same people had not forgotten or forgiven the Badals for the devastation wreaked on them during the SAD-BJP regime. Capt. Amarinder said Ms. Kaur had done nothing for any section of Punjab’s people, which the people of Bathinda could see. “It was but natural that the people were protesting and not willing to hear her dish out more propaganda and falsehoods,” he said. The act of the farmer union in stopping Ms. Harsimrat from entering a village was a sign of the anger of the people.
“The anger of the farmers was justified,” said the Chief Minister, considering that despite Ms. Harsimrat being part of the ''Modi'' government at the Centre, nothing had been done for the farming community all these years.
“Even the Swaminathan Commission report, the only long-term solution to the woes of the farmers, was put on the backburner by the BJP-led NDA at the Centre,” he pointed out.
The Chief Minister said that given the outrage of the people, neither the Congress party nor his government needed to soil their hands by resorting to cheap tactics like obstructing their rallies or misusing official machinery.
“These are the resorts of the Akalis, who have no respect for any democratic institution or for the people of Punjab,” he said.
The two-time MP from Bathinda, Ms. Harsimrat kaur Badal is fighting to retain her seat in a multi-corner contest, mainly between the SAD, the Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party and Punjab Democratic Alliance (PDA).
The Congress has fielded Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, MLA from Gidderbaha seat. While PDA has fielded Sukhpal Singh Khaira, the two-time Bholath MLA, who quit AAP earlier this year as its candidate, the AAP's MLA from from Talwandi Sabo Baljinder Kaur is party's candidate for the high-profile seat.
