AAP leaders slam BJP over Verma’s remarks
The AAP on Wednesday slammed the BJP after its leader Parvesh Verma reportedly labelled vehicles with Punjab registration plates in Delhi as a “security threat” ahead of the Republic Day.
AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal and senior leader Sanjay Singh condemned the remarks, calling them an affront to the Punjabi community.
Addressing the media, Kejriwal said the remarks made by the BJP candidate in New Delhi had deeply hurt him.
“Are all Punjabis terrorists? Are all Punjabis anti-national? Are all Punjabis a threat to the country? This is deeply troubling and offensive,” he said.
He said: “The Capital we see today owes a lot to the efforts of Punjabis. Their ancestors made immense sacrifices for the nation. During Partition, millions of refugees from Pakistan came to Delhi, rebuilt their lives and contributed immensely to Delhi’s growth.”
Kejriwal demanded an apology from Union Home Minister Amit Shah following Verma’s remarks.
“We demand that Amit Shah should apologise to the entire nation, specifically to the Punjabi community. Their contributions and sacrifices cannot be belittled by such hurtful and disrespectful remarks,” said Kejriwal.
Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh criticised Verma’s statement, saying it insulted the Sikh and Punjabi communities.
He said: “You are calling members of the Sikh community terrorists, you are calling Punjabis terrorists, and you are labelling the descendants of Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh as a threat to Republic Day. This is an extremely serious accusation.”
Attacking the BJP over the issue of Bangladeshi infiltrators, Singh said: “Bangladeshi infiltrators are not considered a threat because your friends, like Adani, are running businesses and supplying electricity worth thousands of crores to Bangladesh,” he said.
He also raised concerns over attacks on AAP workers during the ongoing elections. “Our workers in the New Delhi Assembly constituency were attacked and even detained at the police station on Tuesday,” he said, accusing the BJP of hooliganism.
On Tuesday, Delhi CM Atishi also wrote to the election officer alleging threats from BJP workers who were also nephews and relatives of Ramesh Bidhuri in the Govindpuri area of the Kalkaji constituency.
