Assets of Badals grew exponentially at cost of Punjab: Sidhu

Cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu on Friday said the assets of the family of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had grown exponentially in the past decade even as Punjab became a debt-ridden state.

Levelling direct accusations at the Badal family, Sidhu said it had prospered in and controlled sectors like transport, hotels, cable TV and mining, among others, in the state.

"In 2007, (when the Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party government came to power with Badal as Chief Minister), the Badal family had two transport companies and 50 buses. Now they have 650 buses and eight transport companies. Punjab Roadways is suffering losses of Rs 400 crore," Sidhu, who joined the Congress earlier this week, told media persons here.

"I will expose how the Badals have looted Punjab. They have made Punjab poor and filled their own coffers," the former BJP leader said.

"The loss of Punjab is directly proportional to Badals' gains," he claimed.

"The total debt of Punjab is Rs 3 lakh crore. The debt of Punjab government alone is Rs 1.88 lakh crore," the former Member of Parliament from Amritsar said.

The Akali Dal-BJP alliance has been in power in Punjab since 2007.

--IANS

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