Punjab Dalit killing: No accused associated with SAD, says CM

Muktsar: Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Thursday said that "none" of the accused involved in the Abohar incident was "directly or indirectly associated" with SAD, even as he condemned it and described the case as an unfortunate one.

"None of the accused of this heinous crime is directly or indirectly associated with the Shiromani Akali Dal," Badal said at Middu Khera here.

Rubbishing the allegations levelled by Congress leaders regarding this case, Badal claimed Congress was doing "petty politics" over this sensitive issue.

Congress has sought a CBI inquiry, monitored by a Punjab and High Court judge, into the murder of the a 27-year old Dalit man Bhim Sain, whose limbs were chopped off on December 11 at Abohar by suspected henchmen of liquor baron and Akali Dal leader Shiv Lal Doda.

Two days ago, a Congress delegation had met the family members of Bhim Sain and Gurjant Singh Janta in Fazilka who were attacked during the incident.

Meanwhile, Badal hit out at opposition Congress and said Punjab was not any exception to execute development programmes by taking productive loans from financial institutions.

"Rather it is a common phenomena that not only states but even big nations seek loans for carrying out their welfare programmes," Badal said.

Clearing the mist over the opposition charges that Punjab was burdened with "heavy debt", the chief minister clarified that it was still among the "least indebted" states in the country.

Interacting with reporters on the sidelines of his Sangat Darshan programme of Lambi Assembly segment, Badal said, "As compared to other states in the country Punjab is least burdened with debt." However, he said that debt on Punjab was also due to productive loan, which has been aptly being utilised for the overall development of the state.

Badal said that taking productive loans was a universal practice, which was followed by advanced nations as well as big industrial companies across the globe. Slamming the Congress party for doing petty politics over "non-existing issues", the Chief Minister said that Congress party was allegedly unnecessarily raking up controversies to "score brownie points".

The Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP government has drawn flak from the Congress, which has charged the ruling combine of mortgaging state-owned properties, to raise hefty loan.

Holding the Congress party responsible for a large number of social maladies being faced by the country, Badal said that problems like illiteracy, poverty, unemployment, corruption and others were result of "long misrule of Congress."

"Before leveling any allegation on us, the Congress leaders must peep into their conscience as their party is solely responsible for every agony faced by the countrymen," he added.

On another query with regard to naming of the international airport at Chandigarh, the chief minister said that state government was firm on its stand on naming the airport after legendary martyr Bhagat Singh.

Badal said that they have raised this issue with the Union government, adding, there should be no controversy on this issue as no one would have objection in naming this airport after Shaheed Bhagat Singh.

"This airport must be named after Shaheed Bhagat Singh and controversy on it must be avoided at all costs," he added.

On another query, the chief minister said that the work of distributing 10 per cent of the total compensation of cotton crop to the farm labourers would be completed soon. He said that the eligible beneficiaries for this compensation would be identified at village level and the process would be over soon.

Earlier addressing the gatherings in village Singhewala, Fatuhiwala, Lohara, Ghumiara and Middu Khera, Badal said that Sangat Darshan was a flagship programme of the state, whose sole motive was to give boost to development in the state by virtually bringing the government at the doorsteps of people. He said that there was no political agenda of this programme as it was totally aimed at the welfare of the people.