Amarinder claims credit for release of 200b youths from Pak

Tarn Taran, Feb 9 (UNI) Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh today sought to woo young voters in the border constituencies of Majitha, Tarn Taran, Patti and Khadoor Sahib claiming it was due to his efforts that about 200 Punjabi youths lodged in Pakistani jails were united with their parents.

He said these boys, who were misguided by travel agents and sent to Iraq, Iran and Greece, ultimately landed up in Pakistani jails where many of them had been languishing for years.

Akali supremo Parkash Singh Badal, who had also gone to Pakistan with former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, did not pursue the case of youth detained in jails there.

While the Chief Minister was talking about the fate of Punjabi youth lodged in Pakistani jails, few boys at Majitha, who had returned from Pakistan, came on the dias and shared their sentiments with the audience. They also profusely thanked the Chief Minister for giving them ''a new lease of life''.

While addressing the election rallies in favour of Sukhjinder Raj Singh Lalli from Majitha, Manjit Singh Ghasitpur from Tarn Taran, Harminder Singh Gill from Patti and Tarsem Singh from Khadoor Sahib, Captain Singh said,''time had come to ensure a bright future of the youth of Punjab and every vote for Congress would ensure prosperity for each and every Punjabi. We stand for development while Akalis stood for destruction and confrontation''.

He assured the people that a new ''era of prosperity'' would be ushered in the border areas, if the Congress retained power in Punjab.

He specially appealed to the women to vote for Congress ''for a bright future of their children''.

UNI