Chandigarh, August 3, 2023 (Yes Punjab News)
Former union minister and Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal today opposed the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023 saying Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Convener Arvind Kejriwal was sowing what he reaped in Punjab and accused the latter of leading a national campaign to secure more power for States even as he had taken over governance of Punjab by suppressing democratic institutions in the State.
Speaking in parliament on the Delhi Services Bill, Mrs Harsimrat Badal called out the hypocrisy of Mr Arvind Kejriwal, saying the AAP Convener and travelled the length and breadth of the country to secure support for more powers to the Delhi government but had suppressed all the powers of the democratically elected Punjab government. “Kejriwal takes decisions on all appointments in Punjab be it the State DGP, the Advocate General or even Rajya Sabha members, many of whom have been nominated from Delhi”.
Asking AAP what powers it was talking about, Mrs Badal said “when Punjab was suffering the effects of a deluge which caused flooding over thousands of acres of land its chief minister Bhagwant Mann was busy ferrying Kejriwal from one State to another. “Even at a time when Punjabis were pleading for succor from its government, the chief minister the attending the Congress led alliance meeting in Bangalore”.
She also highlighted how AAP was looting the State exchequer in Punjab on the same pattern as was done in Delhi in the excise scam and demanded action in the multi hundred crore Punjab excise scam and asked home minister Amit Shah why action was not being taken on the issue to which the home minister sought details from her.
Asking AAP to practice what it preached, the Bathinda MP said “all powers in Punjab have been outsourced to the Delhi government. This has been made official by the signing of a mou which allows the Delhi government to govern Punjab. This is not all. Even the resources of Punjab are being used to further the agenda of the Aam Aadmi Party. An annual advertising budget of Rs 750 crore has been earmarked for this purpose alone which amounts to institutional robbery”.
Mrs Badal also took on the Congress party on the occasion. She said the Congress party had no right to talk about federalism after its role in Emergency as well as the destruction of Sri Akal Takht and the genocide of Sikhs. “Moreover, the Congress party has disbanded its unit in Punjab and aligned completely with AAP and is working in tandem with it”.
The MP also said it was unfortunate that the central government was also not following the concept of federalism as enumerated by S Parkash Singh Badal in 1996 when the SAD formed a pre poll alliance with the BJP. She said Mr Badal had stated that regional parties and national parteis who believed and strove for internal autonomy of the States by giving more power to them were coming together.
“Mr Badal had also held that the constitution should be shaped in such a way that it fulfilled the hopes and desires of different religiouis, linguistic and social groups. This understanding should be implemented”, she asserted.
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