CHANDIGARH, 28 MARCH: Former Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh today lashed out at the Aam Aadmi Party leaders, including the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for distorting and misinterpreting a routine administrative decision of the central government providing central benefits to the employees working with the Union Territory administration.
In a statement, he said, this was a long pending demand of the employees, many of whom are drawn from Punjab, that they should get all services benefits at a par with the central government employees. “Now that the central government has agreed to their demand, what is wrong about it and where does Punjab’s claim over Chandigarh get diluted with this?” he asked.
“Otherwise”, he added, “I will be the first person to oppose any such move that will go against the interests of Punjab”.
Capt Amarinder, who during his first tenure as Chief Minister, repealed Water Sharing Agreements with other states to save Punjab’s water, in 2004, asked Chief Minister Mann to get a clarification from his supreme leader Arvind Kejriwal about his stand on the Satluj Yamuna Link Canal issue and other issues related to Punjab. “Let the AAP clear its stand on these issues instead of beating around the bush on petty administrative matters”, he challenged Mann.
The former Chief Minister asked Mann and Kejriwal that instead of knit-picking they should also provide similar benefits to the employees of the Punjab government as have been provided to the employees of the Union Territory of Chandigarh.
Capt Amarinder asked the AAP leaders as also those from other political parties to desist from misinformation on routine administrative matters just to score brownie points.
He in particular appealed to other opposition leaders that they must not fall in the trap of AAP and pursue its agenda to divert attention from important issues. “You should better hold the AAP government accountable and answerable on the promises they made and are now trying to wriggle out, instead of raking up issues that have no impact on Punjab’s claim over Chandigarh”, he said.