Akalis call farm scheme bogus

Muktsar, January 15

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today compared the ruling Congress with the Mughals, criticising them for “playing a joke with farmers in the name of debt-waiver, not giving benefit to farm labourers, rising suicides and stopping funds for welfare schemes launched by the previous regime”.
At its Maghi Mela conference, the SAD mainly tried to win over the farming community by repeatedly raising their issues. All key speakers highlighted the development works done by the previous SAD-BJP government and compared it with the present government. The party had also displayed some hoardings of welfare schemes launched by the Badal government.
SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal minced no words in criticising his estranged cousin and Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal for his “anti-poor” policies and termed him “anti-Punjabi” for not releasing funds for Punjabi language.
He also targeted Manpreet for imposing “Jojo tax” on people in Bathinda pointing fingers at his brother-in-law Jaijeet Singh Johal “Jojo”. He told the gathering that earlier the residents of Gidderbaha were paying the “Jojo tax” and it had now been imposed on the residents of Bathinda also.
He accused Deputy Speaker Ajaib Singh Bhatti of indulging in corrupt practices. Sukhbir asked the party men to inform masses about the schemes and projects eliminated by the Comgress government.
State BJP chief Vijay Sampla said the saffron party would start holding “pol-khol” rallies from February.
Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia took a dig at senior Congress leaders. He termed both Manpreet and Navjot Singh Sidhu as “Bunty-Babli di jodi”. He also accused Rana Gurjit Singh of having links with sand mafia.
He lambasted the Congress leaders, including Rana Gurmeet Singh Sodhi and Harry Mann for giving inflammatory speeches.