No enmity with Pakistan's people, but with its rulers: Amarinder

Malerkotla (Punjab), Feb 16 (IANS) Former Chief Minister and Punjab Lok Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh on Wednesday said that he was not against people of Pakistan but against their rulers and the army who were fomenting trouble in India and killing our soldiers on the borders.

Addressing public meetings in support of the party candidates, Farzana Alam from Malerkotla and Sardar Ali from Amargarh, he said these elections were going to decide the future of Punjab as the state was confronted by multiple challenges which could be matched by a "double engine" government only.

He said before independence about 40 per cent population of Patiala was Muslim and most of them had migrated to Pakistan.

He said when he went there during his previous term as Chief Minister, he was honoured and felicitated by them. He said he was for good relationships between the two countries, but the Pakistani Prime Minister and his army were being too hostile towards India, which was unacceptable.

On the Aam Aadmi Party's choice of Chief Ministerial candidate, Amarinder Singh said Bhagwant Mann is a good actor, who amuses people and makes them laugh on television.

But running the government is more serious business than amusing people or making them laugh, he said, while warning that Punjab needs a serious and mature leadership, which can not only take care of the state's security but also bring it out of the multiple problems it faces.

The two-time Chief Minister had a dig at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for claiming that he had nominated a "poor" Chief Ministerial candidate.

He said Charanjit Singh Channi was among the richest candidates fighting elections with properties worth hundreds of crores. He said otherwise also just being poor does not qualify one to be the Chief Minister.

Appealing to people to elect the Punjab Lok Congress candidates for a better future, he reminded them that he had made Malerkotla a district and also announced to set up a medical college here.

He promised to set up a university in the city once the BJP-PLC-SAD(S) government is formed in the state. Responding to the demands of local people, he also promised to make Malerkotla a municipal corporation for improving civic amenities there.

Punjab will go to the polls for 117-member Assembly on February 20.