Patiala: Punjab’s former Chief Minister and Punjab Lok Congress (PLC) chief Capt Amarinder Singh on Monday accused the Congress of fighting February 20 Assembly elections on his government’s achievements of four and a half years.
Capt Amarinder, who was addressing the PLC workers after filing his nomination papers from Patiala Urban, trashed his successor Charanjit Singh Channi’s tall claims of delivering on the Congress promises in 111 days, pointing out that everything that he was claiming as his personal achievement “was accomplished by my government, including creation of jobs, action social welfare schemes, free bus travel for women, and farmers’ debt waiver”.
“Even in the sacrilege and drugs cases, in which I was accused of failing to take action as a pretext to remove me from Chief Ministership, it was my government that had initiated strong steps to take matters head on,” pointed out Capt Amarinder.
He noted that his Government had fought hard, right up to the Supreme Court, to get the sacrilege cases back from the CBI, leading to 19 officers, including ex-DGP Sumedh Saini, being booked.
As for the drugs cases, Capt Amarinder declared that it was his government that successfully broke the backbone of the drugs mafia, leading to the arrest of more than 40,000, including many big fish. “But it would be naïve to believe that drugs can be completely wiped out anywhere in the world, and more so in a border state like Punjab where Pakistan is pushing in drugs almost every day,” he added.
Pointing to the unequivocal support he had extended to the farmers during their agitation, the former Chief Minister said that despite blockades at 137 places across the State, his government had taken no action as he was cognisant of the concerns of the farmers.
Lauding the eventual revocation of the farm laws, he noted that never had it happened before that the Prime Minister of a country had apologised for any policy decision, as was done by Modi while withdrawing the legislations.
Promising to change the face of Punjab with the support of the government at the Centre, led by PLC ally – the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the former Chief Minister said that with the Narendra Modi Government set to remain at the Centre for at least another seven years, PLC could transform the State with their support if voted to power.

Capt predicts Sidhu’s abysmal defeat from Amritsar East

PLC chief Capt Amarinder predicted the state Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu’s abysmal defeat from Amritsar East constituency, pointing that he had won from there in the past only with the BJP’s support.
Sidhu, seeking his re-election from Amritsar East assembly constituency, is facing a tough challenge from his arch rival Bikram Singh majithia as SAD-BSP combine candidate, while BJP-led alliance has fielded former IAS officer Dr Jagmohan Singh Raju.
Capt Amarinder termed as ridiculous Sidhu’s charge of his (Capt Amarinder) hand in pitting Bikram Singh Majithia against him by the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). “I’m not Majithia’s uncle,” he quipped, adding that with 38 percent of the voters in Amritsar East being Hindus and 32 percent SCs, Sidhu’s defeat was certain.
The BJP, as part of alliance with PLC and SAD Sanyukt, has fielded a strong candidate from the constituency, he added.
Dubbing as farce Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s claims of deciding the Chief Ministerial face with inputs from the ground, Capt Amarinder said that this was just theatrics. “As per procedure, the people elect their MLAs and then the CLP elects the Chief Minister, and so all this talk of is just drama,” he said.
Responding to a query on PLC candidates wanted to contest on BJP’s election symbol, Capt Amarinder said that the decision to allow some of the PLC candidates to contest on BJP symbol was taken keeping in mind the voter demographics. While four PLC candidates will contest on BJP symbol in urban segments, two of their candidates will fight on PLC symbol in the rural constituencies, he added.