Chandigarh: Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) president Sukhbir Badal today castigated finance minister Manpreet Badal for allegedly comparing families of farmers who had committed suicide with beggars and announced the SAD-BJP combine would move a privilege motion against him.
Addressing the media in the Vidhan Sabha press gallery, the SAD president said the finance minister had in a press conference yesterday referred to farmers as destitutes. He said following this Manpreet said just like one gave alms to a beggar on a a red light to make him go away, similarly compensation was given to suicide victim families. “The finance minister used the word ‘dafa karo‘ to explain how one gave money to beggars even though one knew it should not be done. Sukhbir Badal said that Manpreet Badal also said he felt families of suicide victims should also be given money on similar lines”.
Terming this behaviour as obnoxious and intolerable, former Punjab Deputy CM said Manpreet Badal would not be allowed to get away with this.
“He has heaped insult upon insult on farmers and also rubbed salt on wounds of farmer families whose loved ones committed suicide by saying the State was giving them compensation just like one would give alms to a beggar”, said Sukhbir Badal.
He maintained that Punjab had witnessed a spurt in farmer suicides in the last three months with nearly 90 farmers ending their lives. He said it would have been better if Manpreet Badal and his government has stuck to its promise to effect a complete loan waiver of farmer loans taken from nationalised and cooperative banks and also Arhatiyas.
“Instead of doing this Manpreet has announced a fraud in the name of loan waiver by making a provision of Rs 1500 crore for farmer loans. Loan dues of farmers amount to Rs 90,000 crore and the Rs 1500 allocated by Manpreet is not even enough to pay interest on their loans for three months”, he added.
The SAD president also disclosed that the SAD-BJP combine would also move a privilege motion against Local Bodies minister Navjot Sidhu for using derogatory language against SAD legislator Pawan Kumar Teenu. He said Sidhu had misbehaved with Teenu by singling him out on the basis of his caste. “We will also file a formal complaint against Navjot Sidhu with the National Commission for Scheduled Castes”, he added.