Despite being Union min, Harsimrat did nothing for Punjab: Amarinder

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh Monday slammed Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal, accusing her of doing "nothing" for the state despite being a part of the Centre.

Hitting back at the Punjab chief minister, Harsimrat Kaur Badal asked why welfare schemes initiated by the previous SAD government had allegedly been stopped by the current Congress regime.

The chief minister was taking questions from people who had gathered here in support of Congress candidates for Khadoor Sahib and Amritsar seats, Jasbir Singh Dimpa and Gurjit Singh Aujla, as per party release.

"This Bibi (Harsimrat) failed to do anything for her own state despite being a part of the Union government," Amarinder Singh said, adding that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led government at the Centre too was not keen in the development of the state.

Amarinder Singh blamed the central government for the shortage of gunny bags that led to the problem of slow lifting of wheat crop in mandis.

"Our opponents have adopted a new trick to create problems for us. They have diverted gunny bags to Haryana, where their own party is in power. They obviously want to demean the Congress government in Punjab and boost the BJP's prospects in Haryana with these shameful actions," Amarinder Singh said.

This has evidently been done "at the behest" of the Badals, alleged the CM, adding that the Centre had no business in diverting the bags.

The CM was unequivocal in his criticism of the Akalis, who he said should be "ashamed" of the 113 incidents of sacrilege that took place during their tenure.

"They allowed the desecration of 'Sri Guru Granth Sahib' and 'Gutka Sahib' as well as scriptures of other religions in a bid to create disharmony and division to further their political interests," alleged Amarinder Singh, asserting that they would pay for their actions.

Speaking in Talwandi Sabo, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader alleged that thousands of 'Atta Dal' scheme cards have been cancelled unfairly in Bathinda constituency by the Amarinder Singh government.

The Punjab chief minister further pointed out that lakhs of youth were in the grip of drugs in Punjab when the Congress came to power as the previous government did nothing to check the menace.

But his government set up an SIT, which arrested more than 26,000 peddlers, he said.

On the five marla plots promised to rural homeless families, the chief minister said that his government had already announced 1,32,620 plots, with specific targets given to DCs to allot at least 10 plots in those villages where land was available with the Panchayats.

The CM reiterated his commitment to the fulfilment of all promises, and pointed out that farm debt waiver was also being implemented in phases despite the precarious fiscal condition of the state.