Punjab Opposition questions Kejriwal's name on Sports Hub plaque

The Sports Hub being re-inaugurated by the Aam Aadmi Party at the Burlton Park in Jalandhar on Thursday has come under criticism from across party lines.

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BJP leaders on Thursday questioned why the Smart City Mission and the Centre's contribution to the project remain unacknowledged on the foundation stone laying event. BJP leader KD Bhandari shared the inaugural plaque from the Congress regime days.

Bhandari also said he would be taking up the issue with ML Khattar, the Minister for Power and Housing Affairs.

Meanwhile, the Congress has questioned AAP for incurring huge expenditure by holding a big event for a project which was already in the pipeline for years. Both parties have also questioned AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal's name on the inaugural plaque.

Bhandari said Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has misled the people of the state about the Burlton Park Sports Hub. Bhandari claimed the central government had already allocated funds for the hub under smart city project.

Bhandari said, "It is absolutely wrong to write Kejriwal's name on the inauguration stone of the Sports Hub because there is no contribution from him to the project. Mann has given false credit to Kejriwal and fooled the gullible people of Jalandhar."

Bhandari said the project was envisioned by former Jalandhar Mayor Rakesh Rathore in the Akali-BJP government and its outline was ready then.

Bhandari added, "Mann should have informed the people of Jalandhar about the schemes being run with the money of the central government. Also local leaders/MLAs and those responsible for fund allocation from the centre should have been called to the event."

BJP leader Manoranjan Kalia said, "Under the Smart City mission, half of the funds come from the Centre. The project was first envisioned by us under the Akali-BJP government over 15 years ago. There was no acknowledgement of the same. Also, since then, Jalandhar's demography and the infrastructural potential of the Burlton park area has changed. It's no more conducive to host international matches for which thousands of vehicles would be arriving. The area is also the site for the surface water project and witnesses repeated jams already."

Kalia added, "A space in the outskirts should have been chosen."

Congress MLA Bawa Henry said, "The huge amount of expenditure borne on an already inaugurated project yet again, makes no sense. We did all the research for the Sports Hub and our plaque was laid in 2021 without any fanfare, event or expenditure. The money for the AAP event was paid by the state exchequer. Would the CM or MC Commissioner be willing to pay that money from their salaries? "