"PM has no sympathy for home state", Badal

By Staff
|
Google Oneindia News

Saiflabad, Kapurthla, Sep 9 (UNI) Former Chief Minister and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Parkash Singh Badal today claimed that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had ''no sympathy for his home state''.

''The PM has meeted out a step motherly treatment to Punjab as a result the states agricultural and industrial sectors were in shambles,'' he said while talking to mediapersons here.

Comparing Dr Singh with former Prime Ministers I K Gujral who also hailed from Punjab, Mr Badal said it was during Mr Gujral's tenure that a number of favours were bestowed on the border state.

In this context, he pointed to the waiving of the central loan that Punjab had incured for fighting militantcy, the clearance granted to the Chandigarh-Ludhiana rail link, upgradation of the Raja Sansi airport at Amritsar to an international airport and setting up of the Pushpa Gujral Science city near Kapurthala.

The SAD chief also lauded the role of another former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee for allocating a oil refinery to Punjab and giving a grant of Rs 100 crores for the Khalsa centenary celebrations.

Refering to the Prime Minister's proposed two-day visit to Punjab later this month, Mr Badal said Dr Singh was coming keeping in view the forthcoming assembly elections. He would announce a economic package to woo the voters, he claimed.

Expressing dissatisfaction with the performance of Dr Singh, the SAD leader said the Prime Minister had shown no interest towards the welfare of the state. Economic packages were given to the states of J&K and Himachal Pradesh and the farming community of Maharastra, but the Punjab farmers who are reeling under huge debts had been left in the lurch, he added.

Commenting on electoral alliances with BJP and BSP, Mr Badal said winability would be the main criteria on the sharing of seats with political parties.

UNI XC HS VD BD1712

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