BJP ought to take blame for state govt's failures: Cong

Kuldip Bhatia

Ludhiana, November 24

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a junior partner in the coalition government in the state, cannot just wash its hands off from anti-people and contentious decisions of the state government like hike in value added tax (VAT) on diesel and increase in composition fee for regularisation of colonies and properties.

Making these observations, Congress legislator Rakesh Pandey and secretary of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee Parminder Mehta said the alliance partner had to take equal blame for acts of omission and commission, which had pushed the state to the brink of bankruptcy.

They said in a democratic set up, the ruling collation had a collective responsibility and stand of state BJP chief Kamal Sharma that the government had not taken the party in confidence before affecting a hike in VAT on diesel, would not cut much ice with people.

Pandey and Mehta said the (Congress) party would take onto the SAD-BJP coalition on the issues of worsening condition of farmers and labourers and the crisis faced by the trade and the industry in the state due to wrong policies.

"Every section of the people is suffering while the government is spending crores of public money by way of perks and facilities being given to members of the cabinet, chief parliamentary secretaries and those occupying other unconstitutional political posts,” they said while adding that even BJP leaders, and their close supporters were hankering after posts of chairmen of the boards, corporations and improvement trusts.

Claiming that the SAD-BJP combine would face worse position that it met in the last Lok Sabha elections in Punjab, Pandey said the Congress would chalk out its strategy for the coming municipal elections in the state in a meeting being convened at Chandigarh on November 25, 2014.

They said the urban population, in particular, was feeling cheated and betrayed by the BJP and the ruling alliance had paid a heavy price for antagonising them in the Lok Sabha polls. “More damage is going to be inflicted upon the coalition partners in the coming civic body elections.

On fierce infighting continuing in the Congress itself, Pandey and Mehta asserted that the party high command was seized of the issue and things would be sorted out soon.