Punjab BJP, SAD blame Cong for surge in farmers’ suicides

Badal describes govt’s 2 months as ‘summer of broken promises’

May 17, 2017 12:26 am | Updated 12:26 am IST - CHANDIGARH

Chandigarh 12/03/2017:
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal coming out from Punjab Rajbhavan after tendering his resignation to state Governor V. P. Singh  Badnore in Chandigarh on Sunday, March 12 2017. Photo: Special Arrangement

Chandigarh 12/03/2017:
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal coming out from Punjab Rajbhavan after tendering his resignation to state Governor V. P. Singh Badnore in Chandigarh on Sunday, March 12 2017. Photo: Special Arrangement

The Punjab Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday hit out at the ruling Congress government alleging that the State has seen a surge in farmers' suicides, unscheduled power cuts and deterioration of law and order in the two months that the party has been in power.

“During these sixty days, Punjab has witnessed an increase in farmers' suicides, unscheduled power cuts, rising prices of sand and gravel, open availability of drugs, sacrilege of Sri Guru Granth Sahib, atrocities against Dalits and growing incidents of gang war," BJP leaders Madan Mohan Mittal, Harjit Singh Grewal, Manjit Singh Rai and Vineet Joshi said in a joint press conference.

Pre-poll promise

“The farmers are committing suicide due to Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh’s failure to fulfil the party’s pre-poll promise of waiving their loans," the BJP leaders said.

“Law and order situation is deteriorating. Since the last two months, the mining mafia is calling the shots due to which prices of sand and gravel have risen sharply," they alleged.

Meanwhile, Shiromani Akali Dal leader and former Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal described the first two months of the Congress government in Punjab as “the summer of broken promises, lawlessness and vendetta against political rivals".

“No one expected them to perform miracles, which the Congress had promises to perform, but no one expected them to fail so miserably so soon and with such admission of helplessness," said Mr. Badal.

Four main promises

“They formed this government with four main promises: check on acts of sacrilege, drug eradication, loan waiver to farmers and jobs to every youth. They have done nothing so far except PR stunts on any of the four fronts," said the former chief Minister.

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