Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Wednesday castigated finance minister Manpreet Badal for comparing families of farmers who had committed suicide with beggars and announced the SAD-BJP combine would move a privilege motion against him. Addressing the media in the Vidhan Sabha press gallery, the SAD president said the finance minister had in a press conference on Tuesday referred to farmers as destitutes. He said following this Manpreet said just like one gave alms to a beggar on a a red light to make him go away, similarly compensation was given to suicide victim families.
“The finance minister used the word ‘dafa karo’ to explain how one gave money to beggars even though one knew it should not be done. The FM also said he felt families of suicide victims should also be given money on similar lines”. Terming this behaviour as obnoxious and intolerable, Mr Badal said Manpreet would not be allowed to get away with this. “He has heaped insult upon insult on farmers and also rubbed salt on wounds of farmer families whose loved ones committed suicide by saying the State was giving them compensation just like one would give alms to a beggar”.
Badal said Punjab had witnessed a spurt in farmer suicides in the last three months with nearly 90 farmers ending their lives. He said it would have been better if Manpreet Badal and his government has stuck to its promise to effect a complete loan waiver of farmer loans taken from nationalised and cooperative banks and also Arhatiyas. “Instead of doing this Manpreet has announced a fraud in the name of loan waiver by making a provision of Rs 1500 crore for farmer loans. Loan dues of farmers amount to Rs 90,000 crore and the Rs 1500 allocated by Manpreet is not even enough to pay interest on their loans for three months”, he added.
