Badal: Premature to ask him to quit

Aman Sood

Tribune News Service

Rakhra (Patiala), November 19

Taking a U-turn on the demand for Sukhpal Khaira’s resignation, former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal said here today that the Leader of the Opposition could not be held guilty till the court declared him so.

Badal had recently sought Khaira’s resignation after the Fazilka court issued summons to him, even as SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal had said that the AAP leader should be arrested for his alleged involvement in a drug case.

After a function at the residence of former Cabinet minister Surjit Singh Rakhra, Badal said Khaira should be asked to quit only when he was held guilty by a court.

On the upcoming Vidhan Sabha session, Badal said the government should have extended it so that issues pertaining to the common man could have been taken up.

“The Congress government, under Capt Amarinder Singh, has failed to continue with the schemes which benefit the poor. There is no ration for below poverty line (BPL) families, while the farmers awaiting debt waiver have been left disappointed,” the former CM said. “Development works have stopped. The corporations are not getting funds for road repairs, leave aside new projects,” he added.

Badal claimed that payment of salaries to government employees had never been an issue during the 10-year Akali-BJP rule.

AAP leader hits back at Sukhbir

Lashing out at Sukhbir Badal for seeking his resignation, Leader of the Opposition Sukhpal Khaira on Sunday advised the former Deputy CM to first discuss the issue with Parkash Singh Badal, who had observed that mere summoning by a court was no indictment or offence for someone to step down. Khaira castigated Sukhbir for indulging in double standards, besides ignoring his father’s advice.