JD plans stir against Centre’s policies from Aug 9

He said the party would launch a “satyagrah” and its cadres would court-arrest in different states.

National Yuva Janata Dal president K. Balasubramanium, who was also present, said that the Youth Janata Dal would also launch an agitation against the increase in retirement age of government employees from 58 to 60 years.

The district committees of the Yuva Janata Dal, which were dissolved in 1997, would be reconstituted shortly, he said.

Regarding the Udham Singh Nagar issue, Rai alleged that the Akali minister in the Union Cabinet, S. S. Barnala was part of the Centre’s decision on Uttaranchal but neither state Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal nor Surjit Singh Barnala had protested then. It was only in the last 15 days that Badal has started raising his voice for the non-inclusion of Udham Singh Nagar in Uttranchal state, he added.

He accused Badal of misleading the public on the Bathinda refinery project which had been put on hold by the deputy chairman of the Planning Commission.

Rai further alleged that the present government had failed to give red cards to the remaining population under the poverty line, the process of which was started by the United Front government under the Public Distribution System.