Addressing a meeting of the office-bearers, MPs, former MPs, MLAs, former MLAs, district unit chiefs and heads of various frontal organisations here, Bhattal said the party had already challenged the “unconstitutional” and “undemocratic” ordinance of Punjab Government on indirect elections of sarpanches in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. She also asked the workers to make the Hola Mohalla political conference of the party at Anandpur Sahib on March 21 a success. She also announced that the party would organise conference on the martyrdom day of Shaheed Bhagat Singh.

Bhattal said more than 3,000 farmers and Congress workers from Punjab would participate in the Thanks Rally of March 9 in New Delhi. The rally is being held to thank the Union government for the “massive relief” given to debt-ridden farmers across the country.

A resolution was unanimously adopted in the meeting to express gratitude and thanks to the UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister P. Chidambaram for presenting the “historic people and farmer-friendly Budget”.

In her presidential address, Bhattal said unprecedented and historic step to provide debt relief worth Rs 60,000 crore to the small and marginal farmer spoke volumes of the concern of UPA Government.

Referring to the statement of Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal that only 29 per cent farmers of Punjab would benefit from the Central debt-relief package, Bhattal said the tally given by Punjab Chief Secretary was 70 per cent, which contradicted the Chief Minister’s figures.