Punjab polls: Amarinder attacks Cong over declaring Channi as CM candidate

Punjab Lok Congress chief Amarinder Singh on Thursday attacked the Congress over the nomination of Charanjit Singh Channi as the chief ministerial candidate even after the arrest of his nephew following ED raids.

The former chief minister also hit out at the Congress, for fielding all MLAs allegedly involved in illegal sand mining as candidates in the assembly polls and termed it as a clear endorsement of widespread corruption in the party.

Singh said he will not retire till he has rid the state of such corrupt people, according to a party statement.

Stating that he had decided to ally with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and continue to work for Punjab and its peace and security, Singh expressed concern over the threat from across the border as well as the recent sacrilege incidents in the state.

We will not let the social fabric of Punjab be destroyed, said Singh, terming the recent sacrilege incidents in the state, including at the Golden Temple and a Patiala temple, as unfortunate and aimed at dividing the society.

Addressing a series of public meetings in support of PLC and BJP candidates from Sanaur in Patiala and Banur in Mohali, Singh said Channi's nephew, arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), had reportedly admitted that the cash seized from his possession was earned from illegal sand mining as well as transfers and postings.

How can Channi then claim to be a poor aam aadmi! he stated.

Bhupinder Singh alias Honey, the arrested nephew of Channi, "accepted" that he received Rs 10 crore cash in lieu of facilitating sand mining operations and transfer or posting of officials in the border state, the ED had claimed in a statement on Monday.

Asserting that he planned to continue fighting for Punjab and the nation, the PLC chief said with security paramount for the border state, his party's alliance with the BJP would help fulfil their collective responsibility to make India secure.

We have to save ourselves from our enemies from across the border and not let people like Navjot Sidhu, who hugged the Pakistan Army chief, compromise our security, he stressed.

Punjab also needs the central government's support for its economic revival, which the PLC-BJP-SAD (Sanyukt) alliance would help achieve, said the former chief minister.

The state has no money for development, Singh claimed and wondered how parties like the Congress, AAP and SAD plan to fulfil their false promises when they are not willing to work in coordination with the Centre.