Amarinder, Badal fight over corruption charges

CHANDIGARH: Predictably again the brief two-day Vidhan Sabha session concluded here on Thursday with Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and SAD president Parkash Singh Badal locking horns on corruption charges against each other.
The adjournment motion moved by Badal on the law and order and corruption in the state boiled down virtually to casting aspersions on each other.
If Badal compared Amarinder to Nero who played flute when Rome was burning, the chief minister in turn shot back saying Badal''s case was like pot calling kettle black.
If Amarinder sounded merciful to Badal saying that "I could have put him behind the bars much early the way Karunanidhi was treated by Jayalalitha", Badal, on his part, was equally spiteful when he said " You (Amarinder) might be ousted from your office by the time you file challan against me".
Both, leader of the House and leader of the Opposition, hogged between themselves almost the entire period of two and a half hours of debate on the adjournment motion leaving rest of the House watch them mutely.
Initiating the debate Badal immediately rallied around the chief minister to launch a counter offensive and picked up instances to pin him down on corruption grounds. He reeled out details about the alleged grabbing of 320 acres of land by the chief minister and his family folks in Ropar district, alleged defrauding of bank loans by Amarinder, evading customs duty on produce from Dochi mushroom farm, spending Rs three crores on renovation of his Moti Bagh palace and installing 55 air-conditioners there.
Badal also cited reports quoting state PCC president HS Hanspal blaming Amarinder''s cabinet colleagues and officials for their alleged corrupt practices.
He said Amarinder had built an atmosphere of bitter confrontation in the state. False corruption cases were being framed against former SAD ministers. Badal took exception to the manner the Vigilance Bureau carried out raids at his private premises and the reckless manner in which officials had been "going around the world to find my properties". This is not the way to treat a three-time chief minister of the state, Badal contended._Bitterness has spread around so much that me and Amarinder cannot have even meals together. "Nowhere in the country would one witness such animosity among political rivals", Badal contended.
Amarinder, in his counter attack, said Badal was petrified with the anti-corruption drive against him and his former cabinet colleagues.. "He is seeking to divert public attention from corruption charges framed against him", the chief minister countered.
He said Badal supported former PPSC chairman Ravi Sidhu for his elevation to the UPSC, and sold jobs at a price during his term as the chief minister. Sangat darshan funds werer recklessly used to grant favours. "God willing the corruption case against Badal might as well spell his political death", Amarinder said.