Amarinder lashes out at Modi on "Ma-Beti" jibes on Congress

Patiala, April 27: Retaliating on BJP leader Narendra Modi's jibes of "Ma-Beti ki sarkar" on Congress President Sonia Gandhi and daughter Priyanka, party's Amritsar candidate on Saturday questioned if this was kind of respect the rival party's Prime Ministerial candidate accorded to women in the country.

By frequently referring to "Ma-Beti ki sarkar" (mother-daughter government), Amarinder asked, "Is this the kind of respect he accords to women in the country, particularly mothers and daughters".

The former Punjab chief minister also alleged that the state has been looted and robbed by "Baap-Bete ki sarkar" (father-son government), in a veiled attack on the BJP's ally, SAD in the state, led by the father-son Badal duo.

On Modi's remarks on drugs issue in the state, Amarinder said, the home grown cheap synthetic drugs were more dangerous and devastating than, than his (Modi's) colourfully coined term, narco-terrorism.

"And it was in this trade (cabinet minister Bikram Singh) Majithia was involved and had been named by the Enforcement Directorate in a challan presented in a court related to the case of dismissed DSP Jagdish Bhola", he alleged, adding, "Modi was actually talking in air".

It was looking quite paradoxical that Modi was delivering his "sermon" on narco-terrorism with Majithia on his side at an Amritsar rally here yesterday, he said.

Amarinder also asked Modi as to why was it that only Punjab was affected by drugs smuggled from outside while as there are other border states like Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan and Gujarat which also have a long border with Pakistan.

"Why the drugs don't flow into those states?" he asked.

Although the borders were completely sealed but still some parts of drugs were getting smuggled into India. Large haul of drugs was regularly seized along the border, he claimed.

Amarinder further claimed that when Modi had first come to Punjab to Jagaraon on February 23, he had promised that no Punjabi farmer will be disturbed from Punjab.

He said, two months have already passed and nothing has been done.

He lashed out at Badal (Sukhbir) for timidly keeping quiet on this crucial issue lest it annoyed his new boss, adding there was a huge gap between what Modi preached and what he practised. Later, Amarinder held a road show in the city.

Standing in an open vehicle, he was led by several youths on motorcycles, party sources said. Appealing them to vote for him on April 30, he said, Amritsar needs a better voice in Parliament who should understand the problems of the people better.

PTI