Polls ahead, SAD, BJP leaders sing in one voice

Kulwinder Sandhu

Tribune News Service

Moga, December 8

Eying the Assembly elections, SAD and BJP leaders spoke in one voice over the riverwaters issue at the mega rally here today. Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal today lashed out at the Gandhi family, blaming it for the 1984 “attack” on the Golden Temple, probably to woo back the traditional Sikh vote bank. 

Asking PPCC chief Capt Amarinder Singh to stop day-dreaming, he claimed, “The coming elections will prove to be Congress’ Waterloo in Punjab. We are confident of forming the next government and ruling the state for another 15 years.”

Local Akali stalwart and Agriculture Minister Jathedar Tota Singh said Punjab’s underground water table was falling. “With 14 lakh tubewells, the farmers of Punjab are feeding the nation, making the maximum contribution to the central pool. We fear the state’s land may turn unproductive in years to come if more water is given to other states,” he said.

State BJP president and Union Minister Vijay Sampla said: “Punjab provides food to the whole nation. Protecting the state’s riverwaters is therefore in the interest of the country.” Health Minister Surjit Kumar Jyani (BJP) lashed out at the previous governments for giving away state’s waters to Rajasthan and Haryana. 

“Despite having given water to Rajasthan, Punjabis do not have the right to purchase land there. Had the Punjabis been allowed to do so, our hard-working farmers would have turned the barren land fertile,” he said.

Moga rally: Akalis paint the town blue

On the sidelines

• When CM Parkash Singh Badal ended his speech, his son and Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal stood up to lend him a helping to his aging father. But the CM refused to take his help showing that he was physically fit.
• Many senior police officials were also busy clicking the photographs at the rally.
• All speakers, except Sukhbir congratulated the Chief Minister on his birthday
• Almost every bus heading towards the rally venue was painted with slogans such as ‘Akali-Bhajpa Sarkaar, Teesri Vaar’, and ‘Punjabiyan Di Pukaar, Bani Rahe Akali Sarkar’.
• Owing to heavy rush, it took almost one-and-a-half hours to cover a distance of 15 km from Moga to Kili Chahlan village - the rally venue. There were frequent traffic jams between Bathinda and Moga and Moga and Kili Chahlan.
• Police personnel were deployed at the toll plaza near Bagha Purana to ensure free passage to buses and other vehicles carrying Akali Dal workers to the rally venue. 
• A media team from Moga had a narrow escape when the mini-bus carrying them slipped down on a rural link road