Will not retire till Punjab rid of corrupt politicians: Amarinder

Chandigarh, Feb 10 (IANS) Launching yet another scathing attack on the Congress over the nomination of Charanjit Singh Channi as chief ministerial candidate even after his kin was "caught with mafia earnings", Punjab Lok Congress (PLC) chief Capt Amarinder Singh on Thursday declared that he will not retire till he will get the state rid of such corrupt people.

The former Chief Minister expressed surprise at his former party, the Congress, fielding all MLAs involved with the sand mining mafia as candidates in these Assembly polls and termed it a clear endorsement of widespread corruption in the party.

Stating that he had decided to ally with the BJP and continue to work for Punjab, in the interest of its peace and security, Amarinder expressed concern over the threat from across the border as well as the recent sacrilege incidents in the state.

"We will not let the social fabric of Punjab be destroyed," said Amarinder, terming the recent spate of sacrilege incidents in the state, including at Darbar Sahib and a Patiala temple, as unfortunate and aimed at dividing the society.

Addressing a series of public meetings in support of PLC and BJP candidates from Sanaur and Banur towns, Amarinder pointed out that Channi's nephew, arrested by the Enforcement Directorate, had reportedly admitted that the Rs 10 crore seized from his possession was earned from illegal sand minings as well as transfers and postings. "How can Channi then claim to be a poor aam aadmi!" he said.

Asserting that he planned to continue fighting for Punjab and the nation, the PLC chief said with security paramount for the border state, his party's alliance with the BJP would help fulfill their collective responsibility to make India secure.

"We have to save ourselves from our enemies from across the border and not let people like Navjot Sidhu, who had been going around the Pakistani Army chief, compromise our security," he stressed.

Punjab also needs the Central government's support for its economic revival, which the PLC-BJP-SAD Sanyukt alliance would help achieve, said Amarinder, noting that the state has no money for development, which will remain a far cry under the false promises of parties like Congress, AAP and SAD, who were not willing to work in coordination with the Centre.

In New Mohindra Colony, where he was campaigning for Sanaur PLC candidate Bikramjit Singh Chahal, Amarinder recalled his close ties with the area, pointing out that he had contested his first election from Dakala in 1980, and earlier, his father had also contested from this parliamentary constituency.

Chahal, in his address, promised all-round development of the constituency if elected and said he will continue the social work he had been engaged in for a long time.

The PLC chief later sought votes for BJP candidate from Rajpura, Jagdish Kumar Jaggar, in Banur, on the plank of development, which he said the incumbent Channi government was falsely claiming credit to under the guise of the projects he had initiated during his tenure.