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In Ambala, Navjot Singh Sidhu dares PM to debate on 2014 manifesto

CHANDIGARH: Cicketer-turned-politician and Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu on Wednesday dared Prime Minister Narendera Modi to face him in an open debate on the BJP’s manifesto for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

Sidhu also targetted Haryana BJP president Subhash Barala, whose son is accused of stalking the daughter of a senior IAS officer in Chandigarh, while referring to crime against women.

Addressing an election meeting at Jagadhari Gate of Ambala in favour of former Union minister Selja Kumari, Sidhu accused the Modi-led BJP government at the Centre of putting India under a Rs 32-lakh-crore debt. “Over the period of 70 years, India came under a debt of Rs 16 lakh crore, but this has doubled in four and half years. We challenge Modi to debate on this. You have brought each Indian under a debt of Rs 6.25 lakh,’’ said Sidhu.

Sidhu added that everybody in India now work up in the morning to pay taxes levied by the government. “Modi, you have just resorted to creating a divide between the rich and the poor, and communities and religions. You do politics of religion and dividing the country, I am the son of a freedom fighter working for the unity of the country,” added Sidhu.

He justified his move of shifting parties. “ I was part of the 2014 team but chose to quit so that I could answer the younger generation, else they would have accused me of quietly watching the destruction of the country,’’ said Sidhu.

Attacking BJP’s ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ campaign, Sidhu said Barala’s son Vikas was accused in a stalking case.

He also claimed that the BJP government patronised loan defaulters and made farmers suffers. “You force farmers to sign a blank cheque for a loan of Rs 2 lakh, but give Rs 10,000 crore to loan defaulters. Do you recall how you sold 1200 acres to Ambanis for Rs 40 crore for a cement plant? Ambanis have now sold that land for Rs 5,000 crore,’’ said Sidhu.

Sidhu, who addressed locals for over 40 minutes, elaborated on the achievements of the Congress over the past 70 years. He asked people to ensure the victory of Congress candidate Selja in Ambala and at other candidates of Haryana and Punjab.

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