Minister hints at dera support

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, March 18

Even as Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh and PPCC chief Sunil Jakhar have claimed that they will not seek the support of Dera Sacha Sauda, Cabinet minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot does not seem to be toeing the same line.

When questioned whether he stood by the stand taken by the party on the dera, Dharamsot, who was in the city on a personal visit, seemed to be on a different page. “This is free India. Anyone can seek support from anywhere. For saving the country from the clutches of PM Narendra Modi, we need the support of every Indian, whoever he may be,” he said.

As the same question was put to the minister repeatedly, he did not deny seeking votes of dera followers even once. Instead he kept saying, “We will seek support from every Indian. The voter may be a Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Christian or of any religion or sect.”

Regarding Rs 284 crore received from the Centre for disbursement under the post-matric scholarship scheme, the minister said, “We received the amount a week back. We will disburse the money by March 31. There is no bar on disbursing this amount even after announcement of polls.”