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Journalism of Courage
CHANDIGARH, JULY 29: Aware of the political fallout of the decision of the Food Corporation of India to pull out from paddy procurement in the state from this season, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has said that he plans to take up the issue with Union Food Minister Shanta Kumar. He claimed, however, that there was some confusion about the decision.
Even as Opposition leaders, including Pradesh Congress Committee chief Amarinder Singh and All India Shiromani Akali Dal president Gurcharan Singh Tohra, anticipate mid-term polls in the state — especially if the Centre withdraws from the foodgrain trade to allow the market forces to prevail, in which case farmers, the Akali vote bank, will be adversely affected — Badal categorically ruled out calling mid-term polls in a conversation with The Indian Express.
Asserting that the present government would complete its full term, the chief minister said it was the opposition leaders who were trying to create apprehensions of a mid-term poll.
On the issue of free power supply to the farmers and the alliance partner — the Bharatiya Janata Party — striking a discordant note demanding withdrawal of this facility to the farm sector, Badal made it clear that this was a cabinet decision to which those opposing it now were also a party.
So far as the relations with the BJP were concerned, however, the chief minister maintained it was more than a political relationship. “It has its roots in unity and amity and creating congeniality in an atmosphere vitiated by the Congress”, he said. “It is a natural alliance in which there is no room for bargaining.”
In this context, he compared the attitude of the Congress governments at the Centre with that of the Vajpayee government. While referring to the loan waiver, Badal said the Congress’s special term loan had been like a zajia (sort of tax) imposed by the Mughals.
“It was again the Vajpayee government that ordered a fresh probe into the November, 1984, massacre of the Sikhs instigated by the Congress”, he said.
Describing true federal structure as one of the oldest demands of the Akali Dal, he said now even Union Home Minister L.K. Advani was talking of more powers to the states.
Badal also expressed hope that there would be some positive outcome to the issue of the exclusion of Udham Singh Nagar from the proposed hill state of Uttaranchal. He said he would be visiting Nanakmata, Rudarpur and Kashipur in Udham Singh Nagar on July 29 along with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Ram Parkash Gupta and Defence Minister George Fernandes to ascertain the views of the people. “The wishes of the people must be respected”, he said.
The chief minister said he would also take up the issue of the Sikh Reference Library in the Golden Temple complex again with Fernandes. The Centre had maintained the library was gutted during Operation Bluestar but Fernandes recently admitted the library assets were with the CBI.
He ruled out uniting with the Akali factions hobnobbing with the Congress.
