A DAY before Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s visit to Punjab, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) state convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur has said that the ruling alliance of SAD-BJP and the party in the opposition, Congress, were scared of the fame of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Chhotepur was reacting to statements of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Capt Amarinder Singh against Kejriwal, the national convenor of AAP. Badal had called Kejriwal, who begins his five-day Punjab tour from Sangrur on Thursday, a “seasonal bird” and the PPCC president had said Kejriwal should fulfill at least 50 per cent of his promises in Delhi, before visiting Punjab. Defending Kejriwal, Chhotepur said,”CM Parkash Singh Badal and his deputy should tell us what promises they have fulfilled. The Badals and Amarinder get inferiority complex the moment they hear the name of Arvind Kejriwal and their statements show that.” He added, “The Delhi CM has never asked why the Badals visit Delhi so frequently while Punjab has so many problems. Even Amarinder keeps on visiting Delhi. “ Kejriwal will fly to Chandigarh on Thursday. During his visit, he is scheduled to meet distressed families of farmers who committed suicide due to farm crisis, families of drug addicts ruined after their menfolk got hooked to drugs, victims of law and order failure, including the Abohar-based Dalit who was murdered, women, traders and industrialists, who are suffering due to flight of industry driven away by environment prevailing in state. He said, “As part of the five-day tour, Kejriwal will directly interact with the masses. Based on the feedback, we will set the agenda in our election manifesto.” Kejriwal is scheduled to visit Ferozepur, Faridkot, Khadoor Sahib, Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Fategarh Sahib and Patiala districts. Kejriwal will visit Sangrur and Maur village where a poverty stricken couple had committed suicide. In Chhajli village he will interact with families of over 30 farmers reported to have committed suicide. “The villagers have been duped of over Rs 100 crore by chit fund companies. The villagers had taken this money as bank loans by mortgaging land or houses. They are getting possession notices from banks. So far, the villagers have not got their money back,” said Sukhjinder Sangha, AAP leader from Sangrur. Kejriwal would meet widows of those who committed suicide due to debt and farm losses at Leel Kalan village, and address shopkeepers in Sunam before proceeding to Mansa and Talwandi Sabo villages. The Delhi CM will next visit Bathinda where cotton crop of farmers was damaged. He will visit Abohar to meet the family of the murdered Dalit Bheem Taank and later address farmers in Fazilka. On February 27, he will be in Taran Tarn and Amritsar villages, and on February 28, in Jalandhar. He will conclude his tour at Ludhiana and Fatehgarh Sahib where he will meet industrialists of Ludhiana and Mandi Gobindgarh, according to Chhotepur. “His visit is high on symbolism. We want to convey a message that AAP is taking seriously all these issues concerning the state. Kejriwal will personally meet the victims’ families. The victims of crimes pointing at law and order failures have been identified. His itinerary has been chalked out after thoroughly studying the scenario,” said a senior AAP leader. His meetings with industrialists have been organised in Batala, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Mandi Gobindgarh and Sangrur. During the campaign, the party would take up issues facing people and not Panthic or religious issues. The Congress had earlier levelled allegations that AAP was siding with radicals to drive seculars and Hindus away from the party. “We will be introducing Punjab Bolda Hai in March. However, this five-day tour will also be part of that campaign,” said Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann. On Amarinder’s remark that Kejriwal was a Haryanvi, Mann said, “In that case, Congress’s national president is also from Italy. One should accept AAP’S challenge, rather than issuing baseless statements.” (With inputs from Kanchan Vasdev in Chandigarh)
