Punjab CM under opposition pressure to call back Harsimrat Kaur Badal from center

CHANDIGARH: Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal is under tremendous pressure from oppositoon parties to call back his daughter-in-law Harsimrat Kaur Badal, a cabinet minister in the cabinet of Narender Modi for failing to get an assurance from center on Satluj Yamuna Link (SYL) Canal and appointment of separate administrator for Chandigarh.Badal who is being embarrassed by center government on issues concerning Punjab is finding himself defenceless and trying to cover it up with counter attack on the Congress party, blaming it for messing up the SYL canal issue and not transferring Chandigarh to Punjab. He is not committed on calling back Harsimrat Kaur Badal despite discrimination by center with Punjab. Center government had earlier embarrassed Badal by accusing of “misappriciation’ of Rs.20,000 crore whear stocks and withholding the cash credit limit for Wheat procurement. Punjab Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh, CLP leader Charanjit Singh Channi and AAP MP Bhagwant Maan have asked Badal to shake his conscience and call back Harsimrat Kaur Badal if he has any sincerety with Punjab. They said that appointment of separate administrator for Chandigarh is biggest injustice and Badal should clear his stand on the issue.Captain Amarinder Singh told Badal, “You either make the central government, of which your party is an important constituent, rescind the move or you withdraw your daughter in law Ms Harsimrat Kaur Badal from the council of ministers.” He also told Badal in categorical and unambiguous terms, adding, “otherwise it will be proved beyond any doubt that you are clearly in criminal connivance with the centre”. Channi said, “Divesting Punjab Governor of the charge of Union territory of Chandigarh amounts to dilution of state’s historical claim over the capital city that was built for Punjab. This decision has been taken by the Modi government in which the Akali Dal is represented by Mrs Badal. The least that Mr Badal is expected to do is to break alliance with the BJP”.Mann said, “Either CM Badal should immediately resign from his post or snap political ties with NDA by withdrawn his daughter-in-law from Modi’s cabinet”.Badal however is unmoved on the demand of calling back Harsimrat Kaur Badal. He is trying to play down both the issues of Chandigarh administrator and SYL Canal.When conrned by former CLP leader Sunil Jakhar on the issue of SYL Canal for failing to get an assurance from center that no discrimination will be done with Punjab, Badal accused Jakhar of shedding shedding crocodile tears on the issue and forgetting that Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh had welcomed Indira Gandhi to lay the foundation of this canal in the 1980s.” Interestingly, Badal had issued same statement today accusing Capt Amarinder of shedding crocodiles tears. It seems Badal has ran out of logic to face the opposition onslaught.