Punjab CM for countering false 'propaganda' on Jallianwala Bagh

 Taking strong exception to Union Minister Harsimrat Badal's remarks on the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Friday called upon Congress legislators to aggressively counter the false "propaganda" being spread by the opposition Akalis.

Addressing a meeting of the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) here, Amarinder trashed Harsimrat's criticism of the Congress' protest against the Centre's Bill seeking to remove the party's president as permanent member of the Jallianwala Bagh trust.

"She is a habitual liar," he said, adding that she would lose the propaganda war against him, just as she had lost the war on Twitter a few months ago.

After a fierce debate, a Bill seeking the removal of the Congress President as a trustee from the Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial, was passed in the Lok Sabha on Friday, with the opposition accusing the government of trying to "rewrite" history.

During the meeting, convened to discuss the floor strategy for the ongoing monsoon session, the Chief Minister also urged the Congress legislators to aggressively counter the opposition in the Vidhan Sabha.

Given the huge amount of work done by the government, the party legislators need not be on the defensive in the House, he added.

The Chief Minister, in particular, cited the work done by his government in combating drugs and moving actively towards bringing the culprits in the Bargari sacrilege case to book.

The Special Task Force and Punjab Police had made huge strides in the eradication of drugs, while the Special Investigating Team set up to probe the Bargari case was closing in on the guilty with speed, he added.

The CBI closure report in the Bargari cases was totally unacceptable as it had ignored many vital aspects of the investigation, which the Special Investigating Team would soon expose, said Amarinder.

Pointing to the marked improvement in law and order since his government took over in the state, the Chief Minister said most gangsters had been eliminated and the blanket of fear that had shrouded the people during the SAD-BJP rule had disappeared.

Earlier, senior party leaders and Cabinet ministers Brahm Mohindra and Manpreet Badal underlined the need to strengthen the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee infrastructure to prepare the party even more effectively for the 2022 polls.

Manpreet also assured the legislators that funds would be made available to them for the much-needed development works in their constituencies, despite the financial crunch faced by the state. IANS