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Sukhbir Badal hints at Channi complicity in ‘central rule by proxy’
Share what was discussed with Shah in your unscheduled meeting: Sukhbir Badal to Channi
Chandigarh, October 13, 2021:
Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Badal on wednesday came down heavily against both the Union and the Punjab governments for what he described as “central rule by proxy" and said that the sudden and unscheduled meeting which Chief Minister Charanjit Channi had last week with the Union Home Minister had apparently cleared the decks for this "highly provocative and dangerous move." Badal asked the CM to show intent and "act or abdicate."
"It is most unlikely that the center would have taken such a drastic decision without the knowledge and prior consent of the state government and all the noises which Mr Channi and his colleagues are now making are a mere attempt to hide their complicity in this decision," said Badal in a statement here.
He asked the CM to take the people of the state into confidence on what his government proposes to do to stop the center from sabotaging the democratic processes and the federal principle in Punjab.
"You are not the opposition. You are the Chief Minister. Your job doesn't stop at issuing a customary press release mildly criticising the center's dangerous step. You must tell the people what exactly do you propose to do to put a stop to this humiliating move from the center,” said the SAD president.
Badal also asked the leaders of the Congress party in Punjab to clarify their stand in case the state government simply surrenders to the center. "Law and order is a state subject. Center has no constitutional right to deploy forces in the state without the prior concurrence of the state govt. There is no state government worth its salt if law and order is handed over to the center. The Chief Minister must immediately share with the people his line of action on saving Punjab from this central rule by proxy."
The SAD president was reacting to the center's move to hand over practically half of Punjab to the BSF giving the central forces full powers for even normal policing. "The Punjab Police has been rendered toothless and totally powerless in these circumstances. In fact, they have lost their relevance. It is a drastic decision and it is impossible that the center would implement it without taking the state government into confidence beforehand. "
Badal said that the reaction of former Chief Minister captain Amarinder Singh who is still a part of the Congress party clearly showed that something deeper than meets the eye is at play. "CM Channi and other Congress leaders who never waste an opportunity to go viral over even the most minor issues are content to issue routine and formal statements showing their disagreements,” said Sukhbir Badal.