File Photo: Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal
Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal today said that Congress leader Captain Amarinder Singh, who has been "rejected twice" by the people, is resorting to tantrums for saving his own existence in politics as he knows that his party would soon expel him.
He said this after inaugurating the Rural Sports Festival organised on the occasion of birth anniversary of Baba Farid, in Faridkot.
The Deputy CM said that when Captain Amarinder was the chief minister, he kept the Punjabis at a distance and did not carry out any development works for Punjab.
Mr Badal alleged that the previous Congress government even stopped the schemes started for the welfare of people by the Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janta Party government.
He said that people of Punjab are well aware of the anti-state policies of Captain Amarinder Singh as well as the Congress party.
Congress is plagued by severe infighting in Punjab with PPCC head Partap Singh Bajwa and former chief minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal too airing their views against Captain Amarinder openly.
Replying to another question, the Deputy Chief Minister said that the real face of Aam Aadmi Party has come into open now and its leaders, who often preach of moral values, are themselves not following them.
He said that almost every day, one AAP MLA or the other is getting entangled into criminal cases in Delhi, so one can easily imagine the double standards of AAP and its leaders.
He said now everyone knew that there was nothing called democracy in AAP, besides the fact that the party had failed to fulfill all its promises.
He said the Lokpal was yet to take final shape in Delhi, even as taxes had been increased.
He said that the sole aim of SAD-BJP government is carrying out development in Punjab.
He said that Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) was the second party of country which has started welfare schemes such as Atta Dal, Shagun, Pension, free electricity to farmers.
Replying to a question, Sukhbir Singh Badal said that the government is ready for the 2017 Vidhan Sabha elections.
Mr Badal said that very soon, all cities and villages of the state will have well carpeted roads, potable drinking water and an amount of more than Rs 4,000 crore would be spent on it.
He said that the Punjab government has already issued the compensation amount to farmers whose cotton crop was damaged due to white fly.
The Deputy CM said that this compensation amount would be distributed amongst farmers under the direct supervision of Deputy Commissioners from next week onwards.
He said that it is sad that some politicians are politicising this serious issue for their own vested interests.
He said that the white fly had damaged the cotton crop not only in Punjab, but also in Haryana and Rajasthan.
Mr Badal announced that to make sure white fly does not damage the cotton crop in coming years, the agricultural universities of Punjab and Haryana have been asked to carry out joint research.
He also said that for promoting sports culture in the state, the Punjab government is making special efforts and Punjab Institute of Sports has been set up there where 3,000 sports persons are being trained in 11 sports disciplines.
He said that it is his aim that the participation of Punjabis in National, Commonwealth, Asian and Olympics should be increased.
He said that besides financial assistance, the Punjab government has also granted jobs to the sports persons.