CHANDIGARH, June 11: Suggesting that the Aam Aadmi Party government’s claims to bring ‘Udyog Kranti’ (industrial revolution) in Punjab was too late in the day, Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring today said that the announcement was made only because of the Ludhiana West by-election which the ruling party was set to lose in any case.
He also alleged that the announcement which was made when the electoral process is on and the model code of conduct is in force, amounts to violation of the code.
Reacting to the announcement, the PCC president said, the hype created around the programme was so characteristic of the AAP where the budget on advertisements and publicity outruns the actual cost of the project.
He pointed out, the state was financially in a mess and the state government was surviving on borrowed money and multiplying the loan year after year. He said, the trade and industry in Punjab was crying for the GST refunds, which had been delayed for months together.
“Just because you are staring at an imminent defeat in Ludhiana West, you decided to make a tempting announcement of ’45 days’ clearance, which obviously nobody is going to believe as everybody is sure that it is never going to happen”, he told the AAP government.
The PCC president said the timing of the announcement was important. He said, this is actually a violation of the model code of conduct, which is in force due to the Ludhiana West by-election. He pointed out, elections are being held in Ludhiana West, which is an industrial hub. By making an alluring announcement, in the midst of the election process, the AAP has violated the election model code of conduct.
But, he added, the Congress would still have welcomed it if it was sure that the government’s intentions are genuine and sincere. He said, anyone can make out the reason and purpose behind this gala event is only to influence the Ludhiana West election outcome. Everything will be forgotten on June 19, he predicted.
