Sidhu has become habitual liar: SAD
Navjot Sidhu has become habitual liar: Shiromani Akali Dal
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today said it seemed Local Bodies minister Navjot Sidhu had made it a habit to mouth lies and twist facts to suit his irrational mentality, even as it asked him to list a single own achievement or that of the Congress government on the investment front in the last one a half years.
Reacting to Sidhu’s selective tailor made leaks about two most successful Investment Summits in the history of Punjab in 2013 and 2015 during SAD-BJP tenure, SAD spokesman Maheshinder Grewal said Sidhu was mouthing lies with the sole aim of gaining cheap publicity.
Stating that it was strange that Sidhu had taken on the responsibility of becoming the official spokesman of the government when his own mlas had rated his performance as zero and even the State cabinet had refused to consider his recommendations, Mr Grewal asked him not to hide his failures by resorting to comedy shows in the name of press conferences.
He said Sidhu should know for the record that his own chief minister had appreciated the SAD-BJP government for making Punjab power surplus as well as creating world class road and air connectivity. “Capt Amarinder Singh has also appreciated the memorials built by S Parkash Singh Badal which you termed as white elephants as world class monuments”, he added.
Asking Sidhu to get his facts right, Mr Grewal said one major project which had come to Punjab during Congress rule – Sonalika new plant and the ITC food park at Kapurthala which was on the anvil – were approved and initiated during SAD-BJP tenure. “It would be better for you to list one major investment which you or your government has got into Punjab rather than trying to befool people by twisting facts”, he added.
Asking Sidhu to answer about his own failure as a minister during the course of which he stopped all projects, including the multi-crore BRTS project for Amritsar, he said all work was paralyzed in Sidhu’s ministries as senior officers had recused themselves from working with him. “Sidhu is now being treated as a joker by the establishment as he is best known for blame game, abusive language and jumping ship at the most opportune time”.
“This investment story, which includes establishment of a single window system to clear investments and the Punjab Invest department, took Punjab to the number one position in ease of setting up new business as per the World Bank. It has gone down to number 20 under Congress rule”.
“Big players like Infosys, Cargill, Kansai Nerolac, Adani, Apollo hospitals and Century Plywood set up their units in Punjab. However the Congress government could not sustain this industrial friendly momentum and investment into the State has plummeted and is even moving out. Sidhu should focus on this issue and try to get investment back on the rails instead of spreading lies”, Mr Grewal added. -PTC News
