Chandigarh: Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh on Thursday dismissed the SAD's 'Paani Bachao, Punjab Bachao' rally at Moga as a desperate "Badal bachao" cry from a party that had lost "all credibility in the state due to its 10 years of misrule".
"Notwithstanding hired workers and crowds lured or coerced into coming to the rally, it was evident that SAD was bereft of any issues and was on the defensive in the face of imminent defeat in the Assembly elections," he said in a statement here.
He said the so-called anti-Sutlej-Yamuna-Link (SYL) canal mega rally turned out to be a "damp squib" as Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had failed to announce any action plan on the issue.
"A lot of rhetoric that Badals have been repeating incessantly for the past several weeks on the SYL issue is now being taken with a pinch of salt by the people," Amarinder said.
Holding Badal responsible for bringing the SYL issue to such a pass, he said the people knew the entire drama has been enacted by the Badals eyeing the polls.
Had he made some effort to ensure the case was properly fought in Supreme Court, things would have been different, Amarinder said.
"Badal is responsible for selling Punjab's interests in SYL. He did it in exchange for a paltry amount from Haryana on account of his relations with the then chief minister Devilal," he alleged, claiming there was sufficient proof for it.
The Badals apparently were looking to launch their poll campaign with this rally on a high note but even speeches of SAD leaders was low on enthusiasm as was the response of people, he claimed.
"Lack of enthusiasm among Akali cadres at the rally showed they had given up hopes for a victory in the polls. Leaders merely put up a united front even as the state by now is aware that the party had split by its seams," he claimed.
If this is the state of SAD's biggest show ahead of the elections, one can imagine the condition of smaller ones, Amarinder said, adding Akali credibility had hit an all-time low.
The people of Punjab now do not have even alms to give to the Chief Minister, who is "begging for votes to add 10 years" to his life, he said.
Amarinder said votes were too precious to be wasted on the likes of Badals, who have spent the last 10 years plundering and looting the state.
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