Amritsar: AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday (January 30) said if his party comes to power in Punjab after the February 20 Assembly polls, photographs of BR Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh will be put up in all government offices in the state. He further said there will be no photograph of any politician in these offices.
The Delhi chief minister hit out at Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia for indulging in a verbal spat and ignoring the issues plaguing people in the Amritsar East Assembly segment, calling them “political elephants”.
He alleged that Sidhu is not fighting against corruption, rather his fight is only for becoming the next chief minister of the state.
Talking to reporters here, Kejriwal said he had announced a few days ago that in every Delhi government office, there will be photographs of Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh.
“Today, we announce that after the formation of the (AAP) government in Punjab, there will be no photo of the chief minister or any other political leader in any government office.”
“Photos of Babasaheb Ambedkar and Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh will be put up in all government offices, so that by looking at these photos, we and the next generation can draw inspiration from them,” he said.
Recounting the struggles of Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh, Kejriwal said both wanted good education and health for everyone and that the country should progress after independence.
Replying to a question on Amritsar East MLA Sidhu and Majithia, who has been pitted against the cricketer-turned-politician from the seat, he said the public issues of the Assembly segment are getting buried because of their verbal spat.
“Both them are abusing each other and the public issues are getting buried because of it. Nobody is talking about the public issues. Both of them are kind of very big political elephants under whose feet the public gets crushed,” the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor said.
He said the voters of Amritsar East have nothing to do with the verbal duel between Sidhu and Majithia, they are concerned about basic issues concerning electricity, drinking water, roads and schools.
Kejriwal alleged that Sidhu does not answer phone calls nor does he meet people personally.
He also alleged that the Congress leader has done nothing for his constituency.
On the other hand, Majithia is contesting the polls from Amritsar East only to defeat Sidhu, Kejriwal claimed.
“What do people have to do with all this?” he asked.
Kejriwal said AAP candidate from Amritsar East Jeevanjot Kaur is carrying out door-to-door campaigning and she will always be available to listen to people’s problems. The voters of Amritsar East should ensure that Kaur wins the electoral contest, defeating Sidhu and Majithia, he added.
Replying to a question, Kejriwal said when he describes his party colleague Bhagwant Mann as “kattar imaandar” (fiercely honest), his political rivals feel that they are “kattar bhrashtachari” (corrupt) and it makes the difference very clear.
Targeting the AAP’s political rivals, he said they only think about “looting” people, whereas Mann thinks about Punjab.
Mann is the AAP’s chief ministerial candidate in Punjab.
To another question on ordering a probe into alleged “loot” of money, Kejriwal said an account of every single penny will be taken. “Whatever money has been looted will be taken back,” he added.
Mann wondered how the state had accrued a debt of Rs 3 lakh crore when no new schools, hospitals or roads were built in the last several years.
He also took a dig at Sidhu, saying the cricketer-turned-politician was a part of the government for over 14 years and he still talks about politics of change.
Mann said when Congress leader Rahul Gandhi visited Punjab a few days ago, Sidhu had said in his presence that he wanted power in order to take decisions and did not want to be a “darshani ghoda” (showpiece).
Kejriwal said Sidhu’s fight is not against corruption or for reforming Punjab, but it is for becoming the next chief minister of the state.
To another question, the AAP supremo alleged that raids were conducted at his premises by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Income Tax department at the behest of the Centre.
The 117-member Punjab Assembly will go to polls on February 20 and the counting of votes will be taken up on March 10.
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