Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today took a dig at Congress leader Amarinder Singh, saying he is "trying to replicate" him by launching mass outreach campaign in the hope of becoming chief minister but his dream will "never be fulfilled."
Mr Badal said Mr Amarinder is "promising moon" to everyone knowing very well that he "could not form" the government when he faces the Assembly polls next year.
"Former chief minister is trying to replicate me. The most inaccessible Captain is now sweating out in scorching heat in the hope of becoming the chief minister of state," the SAD leader said in Jalandhar on the sidelines of 'Sangat Darshan' programme in Nakodar Assembly segment.
Mr Badal was taking a swipe at Mr Amarinder's recently-started six-month mass outreach campaign 'Halke Vich Captain' (Captain in the area) under which the Punjab Congress chief will spend a day in each of all 117 Assembly constituencies to establish a direct contact with voters.
In this campaign, Mr Amarinder, a lawmaker from Amritsar, is hearing out grievances of people, and promising them to set up Special Task Force within 100 days if Congress forms government for redressing public grievances.
Through this campaign, Mr Amarinder aims to reach out to 2 crore people which has been designed by I-PAC, team of poll strategist Prashant Kishor.
Mr Badal has been holding 'Sangat Darshan' (meeting people) programme whereby he listens to problems of people and tries to solve them on the spot.
"This dream of Captain (of becoming the chief minister) can never be fulfilled as people of state are solidly with the SAD-BJP alliance. The 'darbars' of Captain are totally a futile exercise as Captain neither has the intention nor the will power to ensure welfare of people" Mr Badal said.
Slamming the Congress leaders for shedding "crocodile tears" on the emotive issue of Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal, the chief minister said they should not forget that they were a "part and parcel of this grave conspiracy to snatch the waters of state".
He said every Congress leader, who is creating hue and cry over this issue, should know that it was Prime Minister Indira Gandhi who laid the foundation of this canal to "ruin" the state.
Likewise, he said that at that time every big or small Congress leader including the present state Congress chief Captain Amarinder Singh had welcomed Indira Gandhi to perform ground breaking ceremony for depriving Punjab of its share in water.
