Asserting that a desperate BJP candidate Arun Jaitley was resorting to lies and disinformation campaign, former Punjab chief minister Capt. Amarinder Singh on Monday asked Jaitley how could he blame him for the decision to impose property tax in Punjab in 2013, seven years after he had completed his term.
Referring to the disinformation campaign launched by Jaitley on the issue, Capt. Amarinder pointed out, "it defies all logic that Jaitley is trying to blame me for the decision that was taken now, seven years after I completed my term as the chief minister".
Amarindermaintained that even the BJP state president had admitted in a newspaper interview that they had no other option but to impose property tax in the state.
"So how do I come into the picture? By repeatedly telling the same lie, Jaitley, BJP and the Akalis are trying to divert the public attention, as people were angry with their decision to impose this tax," he said.
He reiterated that his government had refused the proposal to impose property tax in the state, way back in 2006.
He said the negotiations were held at the bureaucratic level only between the Punjab government officials and the central government officials.
"The matter had ended then and there and was resumed by the Akali-BJP government in 2008-09 and finally the Akali-BJP government took the decision to impose property tax in Punjab in 2013," said Amarinder.
"It is strange how Jaitley, BJP and Akalis can think that anybody was going to believe them when facts were quite opposite to what they were saying," he added. By Ravinder Singh Robin
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