Chandigarh, Feb 9 (IANS) The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Wednesday described AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal a "snake in the grass let loose in Punjab by corporate and the anti-Sikh lobbies".
Talking to the media here, Harcharan Bains, Principal Adviser to SAD President Sukhbir Singh Badal, asked farm organisations and their leaders, including Joginder Singh Ugrahan and Balbir Singh Rajewal, to wake up to the shocking reality that although the farmers movement forced Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government to revoke the three "black" farm laws, the most dangerous of these laws is still in force in Delhi with Kejriwal refusing to annul it in the state assembly.
He said, "It is shocking that while the entire country has rejected these laws, Kejriwal typically quietly keeps them in force. One can well imagine what his true anti-farmer intent and agenda in Punjab is."
Bains said Kejriwal "has also filed a case against Punjab farmers and sought a fine of Rs 1 crore per case of stubble warning even when the Supreme Court itself refused to blame the Delhi pollution on the farmers of Punjab and even delivered a rebuff to the Delhi Chief Minister".
The Akali Dal spokesman said that while the AAP leader is promising to abolish private bus operators and ending the mafia raj in liquor trade, the fact is that he has "virtually killed" the DTC in his own state.
"As for stopping liquor trade from passing into the hands of the mafia through public distribution and sale by the government-run liquor shops, Kejriwal has handed over the entire liquor trade to the liquor mafia patronised by big business houses," Bains added.
A CBI spokesperson here said that the agency sleuths carried out searches at the premises of Eastern Coalfields Ltd General Manager Subhash Mukhopadhyay, retired General Manager Sushanta Banerjee, colliery agent H.C. Moitra, Manager, Security, Mukesh Kumar, and Inspector, Security, Rinku Behra.
Former Congress President and Sonia Gandhi's son, Rahul Gandhi, was also present during the meeting. The meeting was held at Sonia Gandhi's residence at 10 Janpath here.
The Prime Minister conveyed his warm greetings to President Biden and Vice President Harris and his appreciation for the initiatives taken by President Biden including those related to the Quad, Covid-19 and climate change.
Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has ordered Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd (PSPCL) to cancel or revisit all the "one-sided" pacts with private companies that are not contractually obligated to supply sufficient power to meet the state's peak demand during the paddy sowing and summer season.
The new leadership team, led by state chief Navjot Singh Sidhu, had called on the Chief Minister and submitted a letter listing out some issues as needing urgent settlement.
