Parkash Singh Badal invites Congress leaders to attend 'Sangat Darshans'

MUKTSAR: Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today called upon Congress leaders to participate in his 'Sangat Darshan' programmes despite the state opposition dubbing the public meeting exercise as sheer wastage of money.

While addressing a gathering of people during a 'Sangat Darshan' programme at Lambi Assembly segment here, the Chief Minister hit out at Congress for opposing his public meetings and said they were for the welfare of the people.

Emphasising that the public money was being aptly utilized, Badal said that the top most priority of the state government was to uplift people's standard of living by providing them with best environment possible.

Lashing out at Congress, he said people have drifted away from the party as its leaders have always opposed pro-people policies. "Even today the Congress leaders have not leant any lesson from their mistakes," he said.

Badal said he has been holding Sangat Darshans ever since the inception of his political career and added that through them he listens to people's problems and tries to solve them.

He impressed upon Congress leaders to forget their political differences and participate in the Sangat Darshan programmes to get their pending matters resolved.

Badal claimed that there was no other Chief Minister in the entire country who conducts such a democratic exercise.

"The Sangat Darshan helps us to evaluate the performance of the officers which further facilitates us to provide effective, accountable and transparent governance to the people and nobody including the Congress leaders could deter me from holding Sangat Darshans to ensure the well being of people," he added.