Cabinet expansion: SAD slams Cong over not inducting MLAs from backward classes

The SAD today hit out at the Congress government in the state saying not giving any MLA belonging to backward classes ministerial berth during the recent expansion of the state cabinet is a "betrayal" with them.

Former minister and the head of the Shiromani Akali Dal's backward classes wing, Hira Singh Gabria, in a statement said the Amarinder Singh government had promised that the community would get proper representation in the state cabinet.

"But it betrayed the backward classes of the state when the exercise of cabinet expansion was carried out recently with induction of nine new ministers," he alleged.

The backward classes have 36 per cent vote share in the state, Gabria said, adding, "Currently there are 11 MLAs representing the BC community in the Congress. But no one was given any ministerial berth. They all feel cheated and some of them have shown their displeasure by resigning from all posts of the party."