Cong stages protest at Lambi against recruitment scam

The Punjab unit of Congress today staged a dharna here in Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal's Assembly constituency protesting against the alleged recruitment scam in government jobs.
State party chief Amarinder Singh accused the Badal family of indulging in corruption and said, "His countdown has started."
Accusing Akali leader Daya Singh Kolianwali of involvement in the scam, Amarinder said he would meet the same fate as that of Ravi Sidhu, a former Chairman of Punjab Public Service Commission who was arrested and sentenced for corruption. He has spent most of his time in jail since then.
"I will not forgive those who cheated and robbed the helpless people who desperately wanted jobs and I promise you, I am not going to forget or forgive Kolianwali either," said Amarinder.

"Let me warn Kolianwali and his godfather Badal that what I did with Ravi Sidhu, I will repeat with you and everything will finally lead to Badal as he (Kolianwali) acts only at his behest," he alleged.
Amarinder expressed surprise that no action has been taken against Kolianwali despite numerous complaints.

The Amritsar MP also accused the police of "harassing and victimising" those who have been duped of lakhs of rupees in the hope of getting jobs.
He alleged that the Badals had fixed the rates for jobs at Rs 15 lakh for a constable's post and Rs 50 lakh for the post of an engineer.

Referring to the "agricultural crisis" in the state, the Punjab Congress chief said when his party forms the government after the 2017 Assembly polls, it will continue with free electricity to farmers, 300 units of free electricity to Dalits and the downtrodden, increase the amount under the Shagun scheme to Rs 51,000 and the old age, widow and handicapped pension to Rs 2,000 per month.
Referring to the Granthi of Golden Temple refusing to offer the robe of honour to Badal, Amarinder said, "It was the divine judgement that day which Badal should understand that a simple religious man, Balbir Singh, who had otherwise nothing against Badal and ran the risk of losing his job, which eventually he lost, could not present Siropa to him.

"I have always been warning Badal that there is divine justice which prevails in the end and it has started from Darbar Sahab (Golden Temple)," he added.
Speaking on the occasion, Punjab Congress vice president Manpreet Singh Badal, an estranged nephew of Parkash Singh Badal, alleged that the name Sukhbir Badal has become "synonymous with corruption".
"Corruption has gone into the blood of Sukhbir and his greed is multiplying. So much so that the servants of Sukhbir's servants have amassed huge wealth through corruption which has become the trademark of the Badals," he said.
The dharna was led by Amarinder and attended among others by Congress leaders Manpreet Singh Badal, Charanjit Singh Channi, Raja Warring, Sunil Jakhar, Laal Singh, Harish Chaudhary, Rana Gurjeet Singh etc.