Tewari asks Akalis tell farmers what you did for them

Tewari asks Akalis tell farmers what you did for them


LUDHIANA, March 20: Senior Congress leader and the national spokesman of the All India Congress Committee Manish Tewari today aske the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal in Punjab to tell the farmers as what it really did for them whenever it was in power.

Accompanied by the Kila Raipur MLA, Jassi Khangura, Tewari toured different villages of Dakha assembly segment and addressed impressive public meetings. He also visited Sarabha village and paid homage to great martyr Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha there.

Addressing the public meetings, Tewari lashed at the ruling Akalis for failing the expectations of Akalis always. He said, the Akalis were claiming themselves to be the well wishers of the farmers. “But ask them what they really did for you”, he told a huge gathering of farmers at village Sarabha, while adding, “they could not even manage reasonable and respectable Minimum Support Price (MSP) for the farmers crops during the six years of NDA rule of which they were part and parcel”.

He pointed out, during the six year rule of the NDA there was a meager hike of Rs 30 in the MSP, while during the five year Congress led UPA regime the MSP was raised by by Rs 350. He said, this was just an example as how the Akalis have failed the state including the farmers. Tewari added, “but they are not bothered as long as they enjoy the pelf of power themselves”. Because during the NDA regime Mr Sukhbir Badal remained a minister and so did Mr Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa who never opened their mouth for the cause of farmers, rather for anybody.

Compared to that, the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh ensured that all major development projects came to Punjab. He said, Dr Singh, needless to add that he is the real son of the soil, was always keen and concerned about the welfare of the Punjabis in whatever way possible. Thousands of crores of rupees were sanctioned to Punjab during the last five years. While most of it was diverted to either Bathinda or was lapsed and wasted for lack of proper policies and vision, he regretted.