Punjab’s former finance minister Manpreet Badal, who was unceremoniously ousted from the Cabinet and the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal, on Sunday vowed to resurrect Punjabi pride by ridding the state of its myopic and corrupt politicians.
Once chief minister Parkash Singh Badal’s own protégé and favourite nephew, the rebel evidently reduced the ruling party and government to a serious case of nervous jitters as he led a massive crowd of enthusiastic supporters into Amritsar and the Golden Temple despite visible efforts to scuttle the show. “A crowd of more than 20,000 waited patiently as Manpreet literally had to push his way to reach Harmandir Sahib,” an awe-struck resident of Old Amritsar said.
In fact the panic in the administration set in early Sunday morning when police intelligence reported there was more than 25 kms of bumper-to-bumper traffic headed in the direction of the city. Beaming at what must be acknowledged as his first political success away from the shadow of his chief minister uncle and deputy CM cousin Sukhbir Badal, the former finance minister announced his int-ent to embark on a statewide pilgrimage traversing all 117 Assembly constituencies.“Starting from Faridkot I will begin the Punjab Jago Yatra ten days from today on November 24 and visit all 117 constituencies in as many days,” he said.
“We must go out amongst the people to know their problems before deciding on any further course,” he said not ruling out the option of forming a new political party. “We are elected representatives of the people. We have not given up politics,” he said.
Unveiling what he described as “a radical economic, political and social reforms agenda to clean the system,” Mr Manpreet Badal clearly targeted the government headed by his uncle and cousin in calling for a ban on blood relatives serving in any CM’s cabinet; laws to eliminate the “VIP culture” barring red beacons and sirens on all but emergency service vehicles; a fixed maximum of two terms as minister for any legislator; and a 50 per cent quota for women and youth in the state assembly.
However, somewhat diluting the anti-subsidy stance that led to his sack from the Cabinet, Mr Manpreet Badal “targeted” doles (good subsidies) and “free electricity only for small and marginal farmers.”
While the opposition Congress party maintained watched from the sidelines, the Akali Dal attempted to control damage by describing Manpreet Badal as a “Congress agent” and his Amritsar visit “a flop show with a motley crowd borrowed from anti-SAD splinter groups and the Congress.”
A party news release insisted, “the so-called new agenda announced by Manpreet Singh Badal is a mere reiteration of the programmes and policies of the Shiromani Akali Dal.”