Chandigarh, July 15 - The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today said Local Bodies minister Navjot Singh Sidhu was talking out of his hat by mouthing lies while comparing air travel expenditure during SAD-BJP government vis a vis the Congress government. 

In a statement here, former minister and SAD spokesman Maheshinder Singh Grewal said Sidhu had come up with ridiculous figures of low expenditure on air travel during the last nine months of Congress rule when the truth was was pilot and engineers salaries alone came to Rs 3 crore AIIMS per annum whether the helicopter flew or not. “How can he justify the figures he has given when Rs 20 to 25 lakh is spent on pilot and engineers’ salaries ?This is nothing but an example of  political skullduggery for which Navjot Sidhu is famous”, the Akali leader added. 

Stating that there was no government in Punjab at present, the SAD spokesman said the government did not go to the people during Congress rule. “The government sits at home during Congress rule. In stark contrast former chief minister S Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal always remained among the people and visited all parts of the State regularly. This is the reason why there is a policy paralysis presently and people feel there is no government in Punjab”, Mr Grewal added.