Channi, whose nephew is charged with unaccounted Rs 10 cr, cannot be poor CM: Sukhbir
Darpan News Desk IANS, 07 Feb, 2022 12:45 PM
Ludhiana, Feb 7 (IANS) Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal on Monday said a chief minister from whose frontman and nephew Rs 10 crore in cash and gold and ill-gotten property papers of Rs 56 crore had been recovered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) could not be called poor by any yardstick.
The SAD chief was answering a query regarding Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's claim that Channi was a poor chief minister.
He said it was clearly known that Channi, who had graduated from delineating illegal colonies to becoming a sand mafia kingpin, was worth more than Rs 500 crore. "If we are to use Rahul Gandhi's yardstick to measure Channi's wealth then even the Gandhi family is very poor."
Asserting that Channi had not only betrayed Punjabis but even the scheduled caste community as well as weaker sections of society, Badal asked Channi to explain why he had never raised his voice in favour of the scheduled caste community and weaker sections.
He said it was a fact that Channi was a cabinet minister for nearly five years before becoming the chief minister.
"However he did not raise his voice to protect the interest of 4.5 lakh scheduled caste students who were not only denied SC scholarship but whose scholarship was embezzled by his cabinet colleague Sadhu Singh Dharamsot."
He said similarly Channi did not object to scrapping of lakhs of blue cards which entitled weaker sections to subsidized ration.
Badal also made it clear that no amount of announcements of the chief ministerial face could save the Congress party.
"The Congress party's ship is sinking by the day in Punjab."
When queried, Badal said Pradesh Congress chief Navjot Sidhu had maintained that he would not work as a showpiece horse but now Rahul Gandhi had not only tied the horse but also locked it in the stable.
When queried about AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal, the SAD President said five years back Kejriwal had asked for votes by making grandiose promises to Punjabis.
"However he did not come back to the state for five years. Eleven of his 20 legislators even left the party. Today he has come back to the state to sell party tickets and earn crores of rupees. He has even given tickets to history sheeters and those with shady pasts. AAP's Ludhiana North candidate Madan Lal Bagga was expelled from the SAD following complaints of his questionable dealings. The party's Ludhiana Central candidate is a rape accused. AAP's Sanaur candidate is a proclaimed offender and has now left the campaign midway."
Badal also addressed public gatherings in support of R.D. Sharma in Ludhiana North during his tour to the city.
He said the law and order situation had totally collapsed during Congress rule because its ministers and legislators patronized gangsters. "This is why extortions and ransom calls became the norm during the last five years."
He promised to put an end to the gangster culture once and for all.
According to officials at Force's Headquarters here, on Wednesday's evening, the troops deployed on the BoP observed some suspicious movement ahead of Border fencing from the Pakistan side in the area of KS Wala under Ferozepur sector. The intruder crossed IB and entered into Indian Territory.
The company, which announced a $10 billion Google for India Digitisation Fund last year, has already invested $4.5 billion for a 7.73 per cent stake in the top telecom network Reliance Jio Platforms, along with recently investing up to $1 billion in Bharti Airtel.
Sidhu was charged under section 323 of the Indian Penal Code for voluntary causing hurt, however he was let off with just fine. The top court had observed that the incident was more than 30 years old, and there was no past hostility between accused and victim. The court also noted that no weapon was used by the accused.
The accused has been identified as Noori Ibrahim, a resident of Vellore, Tamil Nadu. Her agent, Ibraheem Keethadth, a resident of Bengaluru, has also been arrested.
Sisodia concluded with "dissatisfaction" over unchanged Income Tax slab. "Today, this country needed some relief in the income tax slabs. This would have helped our middle class regain purchasing power and enter the markets. This would have naturally helped the economy grow."
Observing the 3rd World Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) Day as a key moment to highlight the global community's commitment to ending these, India joined close to 40 other nations to illuminate iconic landmarks to raise awareness. This year, India lit up the New Delhi Railway Station in purple and orange hues to mark the occasion.
