BATHINDA – Congress deputy leader in the Lok Sabha and former CM Capt Amarinder Singh claimed that several SAD leaders were constantly in touch with him and were waiting to cross over before the 2017 Assembly elections.
Referring to Chief Parliamentary Secretary Najot Kaur Sidhu’s recent remarks against the SAD, he alleged it pointed at widespread resentment simmering within the SAD and BJP owing to family-centric politics of the Badals. He said this while addressing a rally at Rampura Phul in Bathinda today.
Congress leaders from the state, Gurpreet Kangar, Rana Sodhi, Tripat Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Sukhjinder Randhawa, Ajaib Singh Bhatti, Joginder Panjgraian, Mohammad Sadiq, Harminder Jassi, Kikki Dhillon, Makhan Singh, Jagbir Brar, Surjit Singh Dhiman, Sher Singh Gagowal, Mohinder Rinwa, Charanji Lal Garg, Narinder Bhuleria, Amarjit Singh Tikka, Sukhdev Singh Chahal and several others marked their presence at the rally.
Captain refrained himself from raising the issue of change of guard in the state unit. He promised farmers of providing free power if the party returned to power.
Accusing SAD workers of blocking sewerage lines near the rally venue, defacing Congress leaders pictures on rally banners and announcing distribution of free wheat to beneficiaries at the time of his rally, Amarinder said he would never resort to such “cheap tactics” if he came to power.
He also warned Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal against using the Panthic agenda to mobilise voters as it would leave the state vulnerable and encourage radicals. “Incidents such as Dinanagar attack indicates that the government is weak and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal has committed a condemnable act for calling the attackers Khailstanis,” he said.
Shunning his former aggressive tone of addressing rallies, he stated instead of “violent means”, the Congress would have to “sell the party to voters and convey the party’s ideas properly”.
