Launching yet another scathing attack on the Congress over the nomination of Charanjit Singh Channi as a chief ministerial candidate “even after his kin was caught with mafia earnings”, Punjab Lok Congress (PLC) chief Captain Amarinder Singh on Thursday said he will not retire till he has rid the state of such corrupt people.

The former chief minister expressed surprise at his former party, the Congress, fielding all Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) involved in the sand mining mafia as candidates in these Assembly polls and termed it a clear endorsement of widespread corruption in the party.

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Stating that he had decided to ally with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and continue to work for Punjab, in the interest of its peace and security, Amarinder expressed concern over the threat from across the border as well as the recent sacrilege incidents in the state.

“We will not let the social fabric of Punjab be destroyed,” said Amarinder, terming the recent spate of sacrilege incidents in the state, including at Darbar Sahib and a Patiala temple, as unfortunate and aimed at dividing the society.

Addressing a series of public meetings in support of PLC and BJP candidates from Sanaur and Banur, Amarinder said  Channi’s nephew, arrested by the Enforcement Directorate, had reportedly admitted that the Rs 10 Crore seized from his possession was earned from illegal sand minings as well as transfers and postings.

“How can Channi then claim to be a poor aam aadmi!” he equipped.

Asserting that he planned to continue fighting for Punjab and the nation, the PLC chief said with security paramount for the border state, his party’s alliance with the BJP would help fulfill their collective responsibility to make India secure.

“We have to save ourselves from our enemies from across the border and not let people like Navjot Sidhu, who had been going around the Pak Army chief, compromise our security,” he stressed.

Punjab also needs the Central government’s support for its economic revival, which the PLC-BJP-SAD Sanyukt alliance would help achieve, said  Amarinder, noting that the state has no money for development, which will remain a far cry under the false promises of parties like Congress, Aam Aadmi Party and Shiromani Akali Dal who were not willing to work in coordination with the Centre.