Cong behind anti-national mischiefs in Punjab: Badal

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today reiterated his party's allegations that the Congress had always "played cynical anti-Sikh games" in Punjab which "seriously hurt" the country's national interests.
The Chief Minister ridiculed Partap Singh Bajwa's reported reference to contradictory postures of the senior and junior Badals and said, "Poor Bajwa (Punjab Congress chief) wants to extend the Congress policy of divide and rule even to apply it to Sukhbir and me."
He should "realize that not only Sukhbir and I, every Punjabi has one and the same opinion on the role played by the Congress.
"It is that the Congress party is anti-Sikh, anti-Punjab and its conduct is against national interests."

The Chief Minister alleged, "The Congress has been trying to malign the Sikh community by painting it as anti-national whereas the fact is the Congress has always propped stooges who raise anti national slogans. It's role has been anti national in Punjab."
He said "the Sikhs are a fiercely patriotic community and the confusion created by anti-national resolutions from the November 10 stage was the handiwork of the Congress party and its stooges. These resolutions were a betrayal even if the people gathered there off stage none of whom wanted Khalistan."

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The Chief Minister said Punjab was the only state in the country where the entire government goes to the doorsteps of the people to solve their problems through Sangat Darshans.

Badal also refuted the allegations regarding discrimination in allocation of funds adding that opposition was criticizing this programme just for the sake of criticism.
Earlier addressing the public gatherings in village Urapar and Wazidpur, the Chief Minister said he would continue to hold Sangat Darshans across the state.
"This is a growth oriented programme and nothing can deter me from carrying on this exercise," the Chief Minister said.
Listing the major initiatives taken by his government, the Chief Minister said it has decided to double the pensions given to people under the social security schemes besides hiking the honorarium of 'Nambardars'.

Badal said in an initiative to provide better health care services to economically weaker sections of the society, the state government has decided to enhance the existing limit of free treatment in government and private hospitals to nearly 28.50 lakh blue card holders from Rs 30,000 to Rs 50,000 annually under 'Bhagat Puran Singh Sehat Beema Yojna'.
He also said Rs 540 crore arrears has been already paid to sugarcane growers by government, besides arranging Rs 200 crore loan to private sugar mills for sugarcane arrears.
Badal said state government has also decided to give Rs 295 per quintal for sugar cane against Rs 220 fixed by the Centre.

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Meanwhile, police today took about 25 Anganwari workers into preventive custody who were protesting against Chief Minister Badal at the Sangat Darshan programme at Wazidpur village and demanding that the government accept their various demands.
Daljit Kaur, who was among those leading the workers, said they were detained while going to submit their demands to the CM.
Anganwari Mulazam Union Punjab said their immediate demands include implementation of wages on the pattern of Haryana and abolition of the practice of employing Anganwari workers for odd jobs.
District CPM leaders including Maha Singh Rouri, Karan Singh Rana and Balvir Singh Jadla condemned the police action.

The workers were later released, police said.