Congress' days in power are numbered: Sukhbir Badal

Reverse countdown of Congress-led UPA government has begun, Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal claimed on Tuesday.

"The Congress party is jittery as it knows that its days in power are numbered and they know that people have made up their mind to kick them out of power. It is behaving like a lamp that burns brightly before getting blown out in dark," Badal told reporters here.

The deputy chief minister claimed, "Heightened activity, increasing nervousness, depleting numbers in Lok Sabha, restiveness of so called allies and fear of being branded anti-people of being associated with Congress party, collectively indicates towards early demise of Congress led UPA-II."

"The minority UPA government has no right to take any major policy decision as it has lost right to govern the country," he said.

He criticised the UPA government for allegedly ignoring the claim of Rs 5,112 crore drought relief for Punjab farmers.

"Even the final figures of this year's monsoon rains released by meteorological department pointed out that Punjab was the worst sufferer of the drought and delayed rains and rain deficiency in Punjab was 42 per cent, maximum in the country," he said.

"Denying drought relief to a state that had maximum rain deficiency reflected anti-Punjab and discriminatory attitude of Congress-led UPA government," Badal alleged.

He questioned the "criminal silence" of Punjab Congress President and former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, "on this grave injustice to Punjab that affected 80 per cent population of the state."

On the Centre's decision to allow FDI in multi-brand retail, Badal said the UPA government should have taken into confidence all stakeholders before taking this important decision.