Asks him to spell out what he will do in case SC decides against Punjab
More than 6.500 people turn up for Halke Vich Captain in Shahkot.
Chandigarh, July 29: Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Capt Amarinder Singh today released documentary evidence about the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal having acquired land for the construction of SYL in Punjab.
“Today, I challenge you, Mr Badal to deny or dispute one single word of what I will be saying and quoting about your role in getting the foundation of the SYL laid down just to please your personal friend Devi Lal”, Capt Amarinder dared Mr Badal, adding, “you better look at yourself than level baseless charges on the Congress”.
Interacting with reporters along the sidelines of the 14th session of the ‘Halqe vich Captain’, here today, he also asked Mr Badal to spell out as what he was going to do, in case the Supreme Court decided against Punjab on the SYL issue. “Yes we have decided to resign the same day in case SC decides against Punjab, you tell the people of Punjab what you are going to do”, he asked Mr Badal, while daring him, “will you also like to resign along with us?”.
Reacting to Mr Badal’s criticism of his announcement about resigning on the issue, Capt Amarinder said, “Mr Badal was trying to lay the blame on the Congress party for laying the foundation stone of the SYL, while actually it was he as the Chief Minister who had acquired the land for the purpose in 1978 and also taken money from Haryana”.
Giving details, he said, Mr Badal issued the notification for land acquisition for the SYL on February 20, 1978 vide notification nos: 113/5/SYL and 121/5/SYL under section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act. With this, the process of land acquisition started, Capt Amarinder pointed out.
Subsequently, he added, Mr Badal wrote to Haryana government vide letters no: 7/78-IW(i)-78/23617 demanding payment of Rs 3 crore more as he had already taken Rs 2 crore for the purpose. This was in follow up to an agreement between him and Devi Lal, the then Chief Minister of Haryana that it (Haryana) will pay Rs 5 crores to Punjab.
The PCC president disclosed that this was acknowledged by Devi Lal in the Haryana Vidhan Sabha on March 1, 1978 (record attached), where he proudly claimed that it was because of his personal relationship with Mr Badal that he had convinced him (Mr Badal) for land acquisition for the SYL. “For personal relationship with Devi Lal, Mr Badal put Punjab’s interests at stake”, Capt Amarinder pointed out.
He said, not only did Mr Badal acquire land to please his friend, Devi Lal, he had also decided to hold a function where he would lay the foundation stone and Devi Lal would preside over that function. He said, the matter got delayed and later both the governments of Mr Badal and Devi Lal fell and fresh elections were held and both lost.
Capt Amarinder quoted Mr Devi Lal’s speech (in Hindi) delivered in the Haryana Vidhan Sabha on March 1, 1978, where he (Mr Devi Lal) said, “hamare aappas ke taluqaat (mutual relationship with Mr Badal) ka sabb se pehla nateeja yeh nikla hai aur woh aapke saamne hai ki hamari sarkar Badal sarkar ke sath baat-cheet karr ke iss nateejey parr pahunchi hai ki unhoone notification (for land acquisition) jaari karr diya hai”. He said, Devi Lal made these remarks as the opposition members in the Haryana Vidhan Sabha had referred to his personal relationship with Mr Badal.
In the same speech, the PCC president further quoted Devi Lal saying, “mein ek baat yeh be batta du ki session (Vidhan Sabha session) ki wajjah se rukaawat padd ghai, varna mujey uss function (for laying the foundation stone of the SYL in Punjab) ko preside karna tha aur Badal Sahab ne uska udd-ghaattan karna tha”
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