SAD govt accepted Rs 31,000 cr food repayment when Centre agreed to Rs 13,000 cr: Jakhar

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, March 4 

Terming it akin to a "seditious act" deliberately committed by Akalis to annihilate Punjab’s future generations, state Congress president Sunil Jakhar on Thursday slammed the erstwhile SAD-BJP regime for their decision to agree to a mammoth Rs 31,000 crore food account repayment, while the centre itself had agreed to cap the settlement at Rs 13,000 crores.

Presenting a copy of the Government of India report on the issue, the senior Congress leader asked then finance minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa to explain "his political compulsions, which led him to mortgage the state’s interests in this callous manner.”

“This is your moment of redemption,” Jakhar told Dhindsa, advising him to expose what led to the acceptance of the Rs 31,000 crore repayment instead of Rs 13,000 crores. 

“BJP’s historical role in destroying Punjab has been well documented,” Jakhar said, asking Dhindsa to also expose BJP leadership’s role in the fiasco.

The report, Jakhar said, mentions the centre’s assertion that Punjab will accept the responsibility for Rs 13,000 crores only.

“Did your conscience not poke you once ever,” Jakhar asked Dhindsa.

“Leaving Akalis for their sins against our Guru Sahib also obligates you to follow your political dharma, to be honest, and truthful,” Jakhar said.

Mincing no words, Jakhar, while addressing a press conference here at Punjab Bhawan, said it was “shameful” that as finance minister Dhindsa was complicit in “this financial fraud committed by Akalis with all Punjabis for which no-one will ever forgive them”.

The report, Jakhar said, leaves "not even an iota of doubt in anyone’s mind that Akalis backstabbed Punjab by bartering their financial interests for their petty political ambitions.”

Announcing that he would be writing to the PM Modi and FM Sitharaman to ascertain all facts on the issue, Jakhar added that Youth Congress will, on March 8, gherao all major leaders of the BJP and the SAD with copies of this report.

He said they would “name and shame them to elicit answers and accountability from them on behalf of all Punjabis”.

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