Jurisdiction row: Akalis blame Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana/Amritsar, Oct 16

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president and former Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal blamed Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi for the central government’s decision to give additional jurisdictional powers to the Border Security Force (BSF).

Addressing mediapersons in Ludhiana today, Sukhbir alleged Channi was compromising the interests of the state to save his chair and retain power for the next three months.

He’s an ineffective Chief Minister

Channi is proving to be an ineffective Chief Minister. This is because the CM takes orders from the Gandhi family instead of acting as per the sentiments of Punjabis. —Sukhbir Singh Badal, SAD chief

He alleged the Chief Minister had committed a sin by selling off the interests of the state to the Centre by agreeing to increase the jurisdiction of the BSF. “This effectively means central forces have policing powers across half of the state,” he said. Sukhbir also took the Chief Minister to task for not speaking up for the welfare of weaker sections as a Cabinet minister earlier. “Lakhs of blue cards of BPL families were struck off but you never raised your voice in their support. Even now you are not making any effort to restore benefits which have been snatched away from weaker sections,” he alleged.

Asserting that Channi was proving to be an ineffective Chief Minister, Sukhbir said this was because the CM took orders from the Gandhi family instead of acting as per the sentiments of Punjabis.

Bikram Singh Majitha, SAD leader, also slammed Channi and Home Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa for giving up the jurisdiction of border areas of Punjab to the central government. He said if they were not capable of running the government, they should call for an early election. Meanwhile, former Fazilka MLA and SAD Vidhan Sabha poll candidate from Abohar Dr Mohinder Rinwa today led a protest against the Modi government by blocking National Highway-62 near Khuyiansarwer village in Abohar.

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