Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu on Monday attacked politicians offering “lollipop” in an apparent attack on his own party-led government in the state. , and urged the people to vote only on the agenda of welfare of Punjab.
His remarks came on a day Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi announced a cut in electricity tariff by Rs 3 per unit for the domestic sector and hike in dearness allowance for government employees.
Addressing a gathering of the Hindu Mahasabha here, Sidhu wondered whether anyone would talk about the welfare of the state. “They (politicians) offer lollipop… it’s free, it’s free, that’s what happened in the last two months,” he said.
The cricketer-turned-politician asked people to question those politicians as to how they would fulfill such promises. Emphasizing on a roadmap for the state’s revival and welfare, he asked people to vote not for “lollipop”, but on the agenda of development.
Sidhu said, “There should be a question in your mind whether the intention is only to form the government or come to power by lying, making 500 promises or doing welfare of the state.” He said that politics has become a profession and it is no longer a mission.
“My aim is to bring back the trust of the people, which has taken away from a politician,” said the Congress leader, adding that parents do not want their children to become politicians these days. He said that he would die but would never sell the interests of Punjab.
Sidhu said Punjab owes Rs 5 lakh crore and blamed the governments that ruled the state in the last 25-30 years for this. Municipal committees and government rest houses have been mortgaged, he said, adding that the debt was to be repaid by the people of the state.
“Wherever there is talk of compromise, Sidhu throws away the post so that your trust is not broken. For me, it is a ‘dharma yudh’ (battle of principles) and I cannot be defeated in this ‘dharma yudh’, me Know this,” he said. The Congress leader also hit out at those who say the state’s treasury is full.
He said, ‘If this is so, then give Rs 50,000 as salary to ETT (primary teacher training) teachers and give this (money) to contract teachers.
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