Farmers Movement Archive

Sidhu playing manipulative politics: SAD

Amid a row between advocate general Amar Preet Singh Deol and Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) chief Navjot Singh Sidhu, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has hit out at Sidhu for “playing manipulative politics”.SAD spokesman Maheshinder Singh Grewal said Sidhu’s father was advocate Bhagwant Singh, a Congress leader who fought cases against his own government. “Not so long ago Sidhu and his wife were elected representatives of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and could be seen mocking at Congress leaders. They continued to do so even after they joined the Congress. By that standard, Sidhu should also resign from the post PPCC chief,” said Grewal while reacting to Sidhu’s criticism over Deol’s appointment.Deol, 61, had shot into limelight earlier this year when he secured the release of former director general of police (DGP) Sumedh Singh Saini, arrested by the vigilance bureau in a 2020 criminal case. Deol had appeared for Saini, among other accused, in the 2015 sacrilege cases before the Punjab and Haryana high court.The SAD asked the Congress government to not engage in “disruptive politics” at the cost of the people. It also challenged the government to get the issue of power purchase agreements (PPAs) probed by any independent agency of its choice.Asking the government not to do politics on an issue which could harm the people, Maheshinder Grewal said passing resolutions to cancel the PPAs in the forthcoming special session of the Vidhan Sabha was a meaningless exercise.“The Vidhan Sabha neither proposed the PPAs nor ratified them. They were contracts between the Punjab government and private companies. They were executed on the basis of guidelines proposed and approved by the UPA government headed by then Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. Keeping these facts in mind, it is clear that state assembly does not have any role to play on this issue and in case the government intends to cancel the PPAs, they should do so through an executive order instead of misleading people through empty resolutions”, Grewal.The SAD leader also questioned the Congress government’s intention to pass resolutions on the issue of extension of jurisdiction of the Border Security Force (BSF) and the three farm laws.He said the Vidhan Sabha had already passed a resolution under the leadership of Capt Amarinder Singh, calling for repudiation of the three farm laws. “Now another resolution is being passed on the same issue under Charanjit Singh Channi’s leadership. The government must tell Punjabis the difference between both resolutions and how they will help them,” Grewal.

Hindustan Times

07-11-2021

Chandigarh