Congress does not need any alliance in Punjab: Capt Amarinder

AMARKOT (Tarn Taran): Congress Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha Capt Amarinder Singh today said that the Congress did not need any allies or alliance in Punjab as it was already in a strong position to wrest power from the Akali-BJP alliance on its own.Addressing a Public rally organised by the Tarn Taran district Congress Committee president Sukhpal Bhullar and Khem Karan assembly segment incharge Gurchet Singh Bhullar, Capt Amarinder also cautioned people against the last minute allurements by the Akalis in order to steal their votes with deceit.Former Chief Minister asserted that given the response his rallies were getting across the state, including here today, the writing was already on the wall that Congress was storming to power in Punjab with a landslide mandate.Later asked by reporters whether he favoured or looked forward to an alliance with some like-minded parties in Punjab as in Bihar, the senior Congress leader said, the situation here was entirely different from what it was in Bihar. When told that some senior party leaders were favouring a similar alliance in Punjab, he said, everybody was entitled to his or her opinion but the ground situation of the party in Punjab does not really require any alliance.Addressing the rally, Capt Amarinder lashed out at the Akali-BJP government, particularly the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, saying he had grown too old to govern the state. He said, he had been repeatedly asking the Chief Minister to list one single achievement that he could claim of his own for Punjab, he (Mr Badal) was yet to come out with any, since he had none.Talking about ‘Aata-Daal’ scheme, which Mr Badal announced prior to 2012 elections, the former Chief Minister asked, “where has it gone?” He said, this scheme was launched only to fool people at the time of elections. “The moment they won the elections, they forgot that they had promised aata-daal to the poor”, he pointed out, while adding, similar was the case with old age and widow pensions and shagun schemes which had not been paid for last six months now.Responding to the demands by the local leaders including Sukhpal and Gurchet Bhullar, Ramanjit Singh Sikki and Rana Gurjeet Singh, Capt Amarinder promised that the local SAD MLA Virsa Singh Voltoha will be subjected to the same fate and treatment he meted out with Congress workers. “We will make him account for each and every false FIR he got registered against our workers”, he said, while adding, “he will run for cover and nobody will protect him”.Among others present on the occasion included Sukhpal Bhullar, Gurchet Singh Bhullar, Rana Gurjeet Singh, Sukhjinder Randhawa, Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Joginder Panjgraian, Navtej Cheema, Gurkirat Kotli, Sukh Sarkaria, Harpartap Ajnala, Harpreet Hero, Gurjeet Aujla, Rajwinder Singh Lucky, Tarlok Singh Chakwalia, Dr Dharamveer Agnihotri, Sunil Datti and others.Later he visted Assal Uttar in the KhemKaran sector, paid homage to Havaldar Abdul Hamid, the 1965 War Hero and winner of the highest gallantry award Param Vir Chakra.Accompanied by several Congress leaders, Capt Amarinder visited the ‘samadh’ (memorial) of Abdul Hamid and paid his obeisance there. He said, Abdul Hamid had shown exemplary courage during 1965 war and had held the position for three days and damaged five Pakistani tanks. He said, at the end he paid with his life setting a great example of valour and courage for others to follow.The former Chief Minister, who had himself participated in the 1965 War, recalled those days saying it was the sacred soil where scores of his colleagues had achieved martyrdom. He said, while the soldiers showed great bravery, the common people along the borders also displayed great courage during that time.