CHANDIGARH: Even as he assured protesting villagers of 29 villages to ensure Hiranwali liquor factory is shifted out of the village to some other viable location, Punjab Congress President Sunil Jakhar on Friday slammed Sukhbir Badal for his farcical role in first allowing issuing the license himself and now playing the drama of going to support the protest.
Your visit tomorrow to Hiranwali is the biggest farce and exposes your double speak on the sensitive issue, Jakhar said challenging him to make public the name of the person he issued the license to who sold it further to an industrialist.
Addressing a press conference here at Punjab Bhawan alongwith MLA Fazilka Davinder Singh Ghubaya and a group of Hiranwali villagers who have been protesting against the liquor unit for days, Jakhar dared Sukhbir, who was also holding the Excise Ministry when the license for the liquor unit was issued by SAD-BJP regime on August 28, 2015, to come clean on the issue tomorrow during his visit to the village.
The license, Jakhar said was given by Sukhbir to one of Akali loyalist who further sold it out for Rs 13 crore.
Now when you are going to meet villagers tomorrow at Hiranwali to shed crocodile tears in their support, Jakhar asked junior Badal to explain why and to whom did the license was sold and at whose behest in the Akali leadership it happened.
I am sure nobody else than the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister could have approved the liquor license and Sukhbir will have to make names of that person public to whom he gave the license, Jakhar hit out.
The liquor unit is a threat to the lives of the villagers besides a concern for the already depleted groundwater in the area for which none other than the residents of the village are demanding justice, Jakhar said assuring them he will do everything possible to ensure the unit is shifted to some other viable place.
Lambasting the AAP legislators Harpal Singh Cheema and Kultar Singh Sandwan who first promised to take up the issue but have kept silent all along, Jakhar said their double speak is for everyone to see. This is their character, he said adding they say something and do something else. He also castigated former minister Surjit Jyani for playing politics only and not speaking out in favour of the people whom he has represented.