SAD promises one Dy CM from BSP

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh/Jalandhar, Dec 11

Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal today announced that a Deputy Chief Minister would be sworn in from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in case the SAD-BSP alliance was voted into power.

The SAD president stated this while addressing public gatherings in favour of party candidate Dr Sukhwinder Kumar Sukhi at Banga and Bibi Jagir Kaur in Bholath.

The SAD president had earlier this year announced that their government would have two Deputy CMs — one a Dalit and another from the Hindu community — if the alliance was voted to power. He had, however, not named the BSP to be the beneficiary partner of any post.

He also condemned the brutality inflicted on unemployed teachers yesterday by a DSP in the CM’s security team at Mansa. The SAD president further questioned Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi for not clearing the dues of sugarcane growers so far.

Sukhbir accused AAP national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of failing to implement any of the promises in Delhi, even as he was making tall promises to the people of Punjab.

Addressing a gathering, the SAD chief appreciated the BSP cadre for their hard work in the state, saying: “The committed cadre of the BSP is its strength and the alliance will be honoured to offer the position of Deputy CM to the BSP.”

Sukhbir said they would order an inquiry into the bribery charges made against Home Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa by his Cabinet colleague Rana Gurjeet Singh. “How can we expect this government to safeguard our state as well as the border when the Home Minister has started taking money for posting field officers? We will not only conduct an inquiry into this bribery racket, but also order a probe into other corrupt dealings,” he said.