Oppn criticises Capt's turkey holiday

Punjab chief minster Capt Amarinder Singh is likely to proceed on a 3-day vacation to Turkey at the end of his ongoing five-day trip to Israel.

Opposition leaders have criticised the timing of Amarinder's overseas holiday, which comes when Punjab is struggling with grief to overcome the loss of 61 people who were mowed down by a speeding train last Friday.

While all these travel plans were decided ahead of schedule, Amarinder had postponed his departure for Israel and had returned from the airport after he was told about the Amritsar train tragedy.

The government said that Amarinder will be in Turkey on a personal trip, where he would be visiting Gallipoli to pay homage to soldiers from his regiment who were killed in World War I— This is the hundredth year of the world war.

Akali Dal leader Mahesh Inder Grewal said it was unfortunate that the chief minister has chosen to holiday at a time when such a big tragedy has taken place.

Congress leaders however said that Amarinder has shown immense resolve to ensure every possible help to the families of the those killed in the train mishap.

The decision of the Congress government to launch a social-economic profiling of the aggrieved families is an attempt towards not just increasing the amount of compensation but also to step up the pace of rehabilitation.

Amarinder’s cabinet colleague Navjot Singh Sidhu is already under fire from the Opposition in the aftermath of the tragedy.

His namesake wife and former MLA, Navjot Kaur Sidhu, was the chief guest for the Dusherra event when tragedy hit.

The organisers had thrown all rules to the winds and organised the event close to the railway tracks without seeking mandatory permission.

The Akali Dal is seeking a registration of an FIR against Sidhu's wife.

Punjab minister Sidhu and wife on Monday had announced to adopt all the poor who had been devastated by the colossal tragedy.