BATHINDA: Punjab finance minister Manpreet Badal has accused SAD president Sukhbir Badal and Harsimrat Badal of clinging on to their chairs even at the cost of misleading the Sikh community over the affairs of Takht Hazur Sahib and not raising its voice for the welfare of farmers.He said that if the Akalis were well-wishers of the community and Punjab, then they should come out of the alliance with the BJP and lodge its protest with NDA government. He also accused the Badals of doing nothing for the religion and only interested in amassing wealth.Manpreet after attending the swearing-in ceremony of newly appointed district Congress president Arun Wadhawan and two block presidents of Bathinda on Sunday, said that, “Even as the Akali Dal showed its anger over ignoring its party leaders in forming Hazur Sahib board by boycotting the alliance partner meeting, Harsimrat kept on mingling happily with BJP minister Smriti Irani and BJP MPs at her residence while Sukhbir kept on hosting lunches for BJP ministers. They have nothing to do with religion and only wanted to stick to power to make money.”He also said, “SAD failed to raise its voice when acting finance minister Piyush Goyal while presenting interim budget on February 1 played a cruel joke with farmers by announcing financial support of only Rs 500 per month. The Akalis never fail in shedding crocodile tears for farmers during governments of other parties in the state or at the Centre but when the NDA government did nothing for farmers they preferred to keep quiet. The farming community will never forget it”.The minister said that it would have been better if Harsimrat had resigned as Union minister at least now when only 60 days were left in the tenure of this government and join the people to raise voice on religious and economic issues concerning Sikhs and farmers. Manpreet also said that the Congress was prepared for the upcoming parliamentary elections and meetings were being held to prepare a panel of names for distribution of party tickets. He outlined economic agenda for Bathinda in the coming months.

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