Maghi Mela at Muktsar, No one is above party : Parkash Singh Badal

Muktsar : Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal in a veiled attack on rebel Manpreet Singh Badal today said that the party was above any individual and placing personal opinions above the considered view of the whole party was unacceptable.Addressing a mammoth gathering, which Badal described as unprecedented in his political career, Badal, while referring to Manpreet, said, “If one has too strong an ego to abide by party discipline, he or she should never join a political party.” He pointed out that he was confronted with several compelling circumstances in his political career spanning over 50 years where he had always ignored even his family ties and personal relations in the interest of the party because he considered the party supreme. He said that enormous development had taken place in Punjab during the past four years and several other projects were in the pipeline. Accusing Capt Amarinder Singh of misleading the general public through his political manoeuvrings, Badal said that whenever the Assembly elections drew near he (Amrinder Singh) comes out of hibernation. He dared Amarinder Singh to explain where was he during the past four years and now all of a sudden he had put in a ‘guest appearance’. Badal said he was blatantly telling “lies” to woo the voters but this would not help the Congress.Badal also criticised the Congress-led UPA government for the spiralling prices of food commodities and unbridled corruption. In his address after paying homage to the 40 ‘Muktas’, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal also attacked Manpreet Badal for criticising the subsidies for poor farmers. He vehemently said that the subsidies would continue for the weaker sections of society in terms of social security pension, Shagun scheme besides free power to the farmers to compensate them for the “apathetic” attitude of the Centre by not giving them remunerative price for their crops. Sukhbir said the progressive and people- friendly policies would continue to ensure overall development and welfare of all sections of society in the state. Dwelling on the administrative reforms, Sukhbir said the state government would soon implement all the 70 citizen-centric facilities within the next three months.