Root out Congress from Punjab: Sushma Sawraj to people

Patiala, Feb 5 (UNI) BJP general secretary Sushma Swaraj today urged the people of Punjab to root out Congress government from the state as well as from Patiala itself.

Speaking at an election rally here this evening, she said they were ''living in a democratic country and not monarchy. Chief Minister Amarinder Singh is inaccessible and his wife MP Preneet Kaur is running the government by proxy and she too is inaccessible to the Congress leaders as well as to general public.'' Appreciating the work and services done by local candidate of SAD-BJP combine Surjit Singh Kohli, she said that he was more accessible as compared to the royal family.

She recalled that she came to address election rally in 1997 when people of Patiala voted for Surjit Singh Kohli and he was made minister in Parkash Singh Badal's cabinet. ''Now Kohli would be cabinet minister if people of Patiala voted for him,'' she said.

Earlier addressing a news conference at the residence of Surjit Singh Kohli, Ms Swaraj alleged that Congress government in the state had failed to control ''price rise'', and the issue would benefit the SAD-BJP alliance in the forthcoming assembly elections.

She said the prices of crude had declined in the world market but the UPA government had increased the prices of diesel and petrol.

UNI