Amarinder raps Badal’s proposal to revive Legislative Council

Amarinder raps Badal’s proposal to revive Legislative Council 

CHANDIGARH, June 12: 
Former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh today criticised the state government move to revive the Legislative Council (Vidhan Parishad) in Punjab. He said, this was clearly being done to bring in Mr Sukhbir Badal into the legislature through the backdoor as he was afraid of facing the people in direct elections. 

In a statement issued here today, the former Chief Minister said, the issue was raised earlier also but had to be shelved because of the financial constraints. He pointed out, the financial position of the state is no way better, rather it has turned worse, now. “But Mr Badal seems to be too keen to revive the Legislative Council so that his son becomes an MLC and is saved the embarrassment of resigning from his job within less than six months and going to the people”, Capt Amarinder remarked.

He said, the very timing of the proposal to revive the council was intriguing as Mr Badal is too desperate to save his son from having to resign from the post of the Deputy Chief Minister as he cannot make it to the legisature, besides adjusting his other friends and colleagues in it (the Council). He said, in fact the Badals wanted an excuse as they were scared of facing the people in elections. 

The former Chief Minister argued, the issue is not Sukhbir Badal not getting the chance to contest the direct elections, but his fear and reluctance to contest and face the people. Otherwise, he pointed out, Sukhbir Badal could always have contested Noormahal by-election. 

Capt Amarinder said, the Badals had a reason to worry and get scared as they had been rejected by the people of the state in the recently concluded parliamentary elections. Hence they were desperately trying to bypass the established precedents and procedure of getting directly elected to the legislature.