The BJP on Thursday accused the Aam Aadmi Party of working to cause fissures between the Hindus and Sikhs in Punjab in its bid to capture power in the state, and cited lack of Sikh representation in the Arvind Kejriwal-led government in the national capital to attack it.
BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa and Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta also alleged that the AAPs agenda is to ”loot” Punjab and likened it to the East India Company which wants to grab power in the state by making all sorts of promises.
At a press conference, they accused Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal and other AAP leaders of making false claims in their campaign for the Punjab assembly polls and said the ”Delhi model” highlighted by the regional party is a sham. In Delhi model there is no Sikh minister, Punjabi language has been deliberately neglected, over 850 new liquor outlets have been opened, no school and college have been opened, and health infrastructure is in shambles, Sirsa said. Referring to reported remarks of AAP that Hindus in Punjab are feeling apprehensive about internal security, Sirsa lashed out at the party for allegedly stoking communal fire in the state in its bid to win the polls, which are scheduled for February 20.
Hindus and Sikhs eat from the same plate and have no differences, he said, adding that people of the state have chased away those who have tried to cause fissures between the two communities. The Sikh leader asked Punjab voters to be wary of AAP.
irsa alleged, ”They (AAP) are a bunch of frauds. Kejriwal wear many disguises.” He asked voters of the state to set aside all differences to ”save” Punjab. He asserted that only Prime Minister Narendra Modi can make the state free of debt and drugs while ensuring security and employment in the state. The BJP wants Punjab to be happy and prospeeous because it truly believes that only then India too can be happy and prosperous. If the AAP comes to power in the state, Kejriwal will spend his time picking fights with the Centre over a host of issues, Sirsa said. The BJP leader also slammed the Congress over its Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi’s derogarory reference to people of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh as ”bhaiyya” who, he had said, should be kept out of the state. Channi was apparently referring to AAP leaders.
Sirsa wondered what will happen if other states start making similar remarks against Sikhs who, he noted, live across the country. While Kejriwal claims that his government has given employment to over 10 lakh people, only 3246 persons have been given jobs, he said, claiming that he will leave politics if the Delhi CM can provide details of even 5,000 persons given jobs. Gupta said the Delhi Transport Corporation’s fleet of buses has been reduced to 3,700 from 6,600 under the Kejriwal government. It has also ignored demands of over 22,000 guest teachers seeking permanent employment while the chief minister makes tall promises in Punjab, he said.
