Welcome Anna crusade: Badal tells Cong

MEHNA (MOGA): Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal has asked Congress leadership to welcome the crusade against corruption by social activist Anna Hazare, rather than oppose it.

Addressing a sangat darshan here on Wednesday, Badal said Congress is adopting double standards on Anna as PPCC president Amarinder Singh was welcoming the Anna movement, but the central leadership of the party was busy criticizing him.

Reiterating the stand of SAD-BJP alliance against corruption, Badal said Punjab government would welcome all such yatras in the state, including that of Anna Hazare and former deputy prime minister L K Advani, which aims at removing corruption for the welfare of common man.

On the ongoing agitation by farmland owners in Gobindpura, Badal said, asThe state government has not done any forcible acquisition of land for the Gobindpura power plant. Land has been acquired with the consent of farmers.a? He asserted that thermal plant was the need of the state and the issue has been unnecessarily politicized by some organizations.

Anna should verify Badals' credentials: Amarinder

Faridkot: Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Amarinder Singh on Friday suggested to anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare to verify the credentials of Badals before coming to Punjab in their support.

"After all, it is the question of Anna's credibility as well, as which type of people he is going to support", he told a press conference after meeting the workers of the three Assembly segments of Faridkot, Kot Kapura and Jaito here.

Replying to a question about the claims made by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his deputy Sukhbir that Hazare would be coming to Punjab in their support, he said "once Anna Hazare learns about the enormity of corruption during the present government, he will never come to support them."

"Anna Ji is a crusader against corruption and I am sure before embarking upon any programme to support the Badals, he will examine and verify their credentials", he said.

Asked about Badal's desire to retire from politics, Amarinder said, "I have been hearing him saying that for the last four elections and he says it every time on the eve of elections that it is going to be his last elections to gain public sympathy."

These tactics were not going to work for Badal anymore, he accused.

On Congress party tickets for coming assembly polls in the state, he said the issue will be decided by party president Sonia Gandhi, adding merit and winability will be the main criteria for choosing the candidates.

"Once tickets are decided, everybody will support the official nominee," he said while warning at the same time that "those, indulging in indiscipline will be firmly dealt with”.