Sukhbir’s praise for Union Budget a case of sycophancy: Amarinder

Ridiculing Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal remarks welcoming the Union Budget as pro-farmer and pro-poor, chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Sunday termed it a case of sycophancy with nothing to substantiate the claims.

The CM wondered what Sukhbir had found to be positive for the farmers in the budget, which even agriculture experts and farmer bodies had rejected as totally bereft of any initiative to save the agrarian sector.

While the BJP was blinded by power and could not see the problems faced by the farmers, the SAD president was apparently so blinded by his sycophant love for the ruling party that he could see nothing wrong in their actions, said Amarinder.

Despite having three ministers in the Union cabinet from the state, the BJP-Akali combine have failed to secure a debt relief scheme for the farmers, who continue to reel under debt across the country, the CM added.

Questioning Sukhbir’s reaction hailing the ₹15 lakh crore budgetary allocation for the agriculture sector, Amarinder asked how the Akali leader thought the mere 10% increase over last year for agriculture and allied sectors to be sufficient to tackle the grave crisis faced by the debt-ridden farmers.

With this measly allocation, which comes nowhere near meeting the needs of the farmers, how Sukhbir hopes to see the farmers’ income getting doubled in the next two years? he asked.