Congress leader feels Badal is 'old and obsolete'

Chandigarh, June 13 (UNI) The young Congress leadership thinks that Parkash Singh Badal, who is 80 years old and is in his fourth term as Chief Minister is "too old and obsolete".

"The leadership that Mr Badal is providing to Punjab is too old and obsolete and there is need to bring fresh blood", according to Mr Sukhpal Singh Khera, a young and vocal Congress MLA who has already made his mark in the state Vidhan Sabha in the last session.

Addressing a media conference here today, Mr Khera pointed out that at a time when leaders are feeling concerened about global warming and green house emissions, Mr Badal was still advocating the concept of thermal power stations. In this context he refered to the Chief Minister's recent claim that his government had obtained the sanction of three thermal power stations to be set up at Goindwal Sahib, Talwandi Sabo and Nabha.

Refering to Mr Badal's oft repeated statement that he would 'turn Punjab into California", Mr Khera termed this as "day dreaming ventures of an aging leader". The "California myth" of Mr Badal has been repeated quite often, he added.

In his third term Mr Badal had gone to Israel and had come back with the concept of drip irrigation and dairy farming. " These were just dreams and nothing really happened", he added.

Turning to the Chief Minister's Adarsh School's project for poor and gifted children, Mr Khera said "I have been hearing this for the last 30 years, when i was a child". Interestingly Mr Khera's father, Sukhjinder Singh was the state education minister in 1978, when Mr Badal, who was then in his second term as chief minister had floated the Adarsh Schools concept.

Regarding the CMs 'Sangat Darshan' , the young Congress MLA claimed that such programmes served no purpose and were just wasteful expenditure.

"The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) must introspect, they definately have better and young leaders", he added.

When asked whether he favoured Junior Badal, Sukhbir Singh, the Congress leader said " you will know in the Budget Session, there will be someone who will not be allowed to express his views". His apparent reference was to the young Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal, the nephew of the Chief Minister.

UNI