Chandigarh: Shiromani Akali Dal condemned the Congressgovernment in the state for misusing government chopper to bring Rawat fromDelhi for talks with the Chief Minister at Chandigarh on Saturday.
Demanding an inquiry into the matter, Akali Dal spokespersonDr. Daljit Singh Cheema said that it was strange that Punjab Congress wasmisusing the resources of the state. He said that there was no point inbringing Rawat to Chandigarh at government expense when it was clear thatCongress General Secretary was coming to Chandigarh to meet Capt. AmarinderSingh to resolve the crisis of the Punjab Congress. He said that either thecost of chopper should be borne by the Rawat or the Chief Minister Capt.Amarinder Singh should be asked to pay the cost out of his own pocket insteadof the exchequer. He said that government funds could not be used to resolvethe infighting of Congress.
Dr. Cheema also said that the misuse of governmentchopper was contrary to the promise made by the Congress party in its electionmanifesto which stated that the use of government helicopters by the ChiefMinister and Ministers were only in case of emergency natural calamities. Hesaid that like other promises made to the Punjabis, the promises made in theelection manifesto regarding the use of government chopper have been shattered.
The Akali Dal leader said that it was highlyreprehensible that even the Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh had recentlysaid in the case of being summoned to Delhi by the Congress High Command twomonths back that the government chopper would not be misused. He said that thishelicopter was not used to meet the farmers who were involved in a power crisisor government employees who were protesting against the Congress government inthe state. Dr. Cheema asked the Chief Minister to ensure that the governmentchopper was not used for personal purposes of the party in the future.
(Story contributed by Mr. Dinesh Sharma )