Baghapurana (Punjab):
AAP national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday mounted a no holds barred attack on the Badal family and Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh, alleging that they have “looted” the state for their “vested interests”.
Aam Aadmi Party eyeing to wrest power in Punjab in the 2107 assembly polls, unveiled its 31-point 'Kisan Manifesto' with an action plan to prevent farmer and farm labourers suicides and make them debt free and prosperous by December 2018.
The Manifesto was released by Manifesto committee chairman Kanwar Sandhu at a party rally here which was later addressed by AAP national convenor and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.
“What have the Akalis and the Congress given to the people of Punjab? They have only looted the state for their vested interests. People should disassociate themselves with these parties. Otherwise, their children will never forgive them,” he said after releasing his party’s ‘Kisan Manifesto’.
Asserting that Punjab will “change” after the 2017 Assembly polls, Kejriwal, on the last day of his four-day tour of the state, told a rally that the future of Punjab was bright and it would show the direction to the entire world.
He said the farmers of the state were once prosperous and accused the Badals and Amarinder of “grabbing” their land and “forcing” them to commit suicide in the last 15 years.
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“We (AAP) will not let them (the Badals and Amarinder) go scot free. I have pitched my tent in Punjab now and I will leave the state only after sending the Badals to jail,” said Kejriwal.
He also lashed out at state ministers Tota Singh, Adesh Partap Singh Kairon, Bikram Singh Majithia and Sukhbir Singh Badal. “After we form the government in Punjab, we will get cases lodged against them and send them to jail,” he said.
The AAP supremo accused Tota Singh of “selling spurious pesticides” which forced cotton farmers to commit suicide, Kairon of “looting” foodgrains worth Rs 12,000 crore, Majithia of “being in the drugs business” and Sukhbir of “knowing it all”, adding that AAP will confiscate the land of these ministers and build schools and hospitals on them.
“Three months back, I had announced that Majithia was in the drugs trade. He got a false case registered against me, thinking that he will be able to suppress me. But, I am not afraid of him,” said Kejriwal.
“There are only four months left for the polls. I warn Majithia that either he gets me arrested or after the polls, I will get him arrested and send him to jail,” he said.
Kejriwal alleged that whenever he said anything against the Badals, Amarinder threatened to throw him out of Punjab. “I wonder why can’t he (Amarinder) face the truth about the Badals?” he asked, adding that the state Congress chief behaved like “an advocate of the ruling family of Punjab”.
“Congress, Akali Dal and BJP are together in the run-up to the polls,” he claimed, adding that after AAP forms the government in Punjab, the buses of the Badals will be impounded and handed over to the unemployed youth.
The party will also withdraw the false cases lodged against the people at the behest of the Badals, he said.
“It is sad that those who sell drugs are not booked but those who purchase them are arrested. We will arrest the sellers,” said the AAP supremo.
Claiming that his party had a “zero tolerance” policy towards corruption, Kejriwal said, “AAP is the only party since Independence to send its ministers to jail after collecting proof of their indulgence in corruption.”
“We have suspended three of our ministers after getting proof. We will never compromise with corruption,” he added.
The Delhi Chief Minister accused the ministers in the Badal cabinet of being “rowdy, goons and disreputable” and said, “A foul smell emanates from these ministers and their homes.”
He also questioned the Congress leadership why did it not remove Sajjan Kumar and Jagdish Tytler from the party after their names cropped up in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
Similarly, he asked why did Sukhbir Singh Badal not remove Bikram Singh Majithia from the Punjab cabinet.
Kejriwal cautioned his party workers that in the coming days, there will be “murderous attacks” on them.
“Sukhbir has got 63 fake CDs made against AAP. Each day, he will release two of such CDs. Do not get afraid. Stay united. We will send the Badals behind bars,” he said.
He said AAP will open a dispensary at each village and provide free medicines and treatment to the villagers after coming to power in Punjab, adding that his government will procure foodgrains of the farmers from the granaries within 24 hours and make the payments within 72 hours.
“Sarais (inns) will be set up near the mandis where the farmers will be able to stay,” he said.
Kejriwal claimed that the AAP government will get the recommendations of the Swaminathan Committee report implemented by 2020 in Punjab.
To make up crop loss, compensation of Rs 20,000 per acre for crop loss due to drought, floods, pest attack, unseasonal rain, will be given, he said.
In the event of crop failure, farm labourers shall be given a compensation of Rs 10,000 for every month of loss of work, the AAP leader said.
Full implementation of Swaminathan Commission Report on crop pricing will be done by December 2020.
He said that re-registration of land acquired for the Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) Canal by Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal governments earlier, will be done in the name of original owners.
