AAP chief Kejriwal vows to rid state of gangsters

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday promised a gangster-free Punjab and asked those demanding ransom to leave the state within a week.

“We will clean up the entire state,” he said while campaigning for his party candidate Harmeet Singh Sandhu in Tarn Taran ahead of the Assembly bypoll on November 11. The remarks come amid mounting criticism of the ruling party over the law and order situation.

The AAP regime in Punjab has drawn the ire of the Opposition following a string of attacks and ransom threats involving gangsters in recent months.The main Opposition Congress has been repeatedly targeting AAP over the issue, making it a major poll plank.

Addressing voters during a roadshow, Kejriwal also promised a girls’ college and flyover for the constituency.

“CM (Bhagwant) Mann Sahib will sign the file of a flyover the next day after results are announced,” he said promising a gangster-free Punjab in the same breath.

The AAP leader also slammed Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring for his alleged derogatory remarks against former Union Minister and late Dalit leader Buta Singh.

“We strongly condemn the comments. It shows the mentality of the congress,” he said. Warring has been under fire from leaders of rival parties for the remarks, made during canvassing for the bypoll. After facing flak, he had tendered an “unconditional apology”. However, the Kapurthala police lodged a case against him following a complaint by the late leader’s family members. He faces charges of promoting enmity and disharmony among various groups.

Kejriwal also claimed that his party’s government had given 56,000 jobs in three years.

“Ask anybody, no one had to pay a single penny (in bribe). Earlier, during the Congress and BJP governments, people had to pay lakhs to get government jobs,” he alleged.

AAP intimidating candidates, voters, alleges Sukhbir

Meanwhile, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president visited the district bar association office here. Badal said, “For national political parties, Punjab is just another state but for us, it’s over home.” He added that the SAD was the only party which always took a stand for Punjab.

Badal also spoke on how AAP “betrayed each and every section of society and how the party was now resorting to false cases, intimidation of voters, opposition candidates and their families in a last-ditch attempt to win the election”.

They had also promised drug-free state: Bajwa

Senior Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa also accused AAP of betraying people.

Taking a jibe at AAP, Bajwa, who is also the Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly, said Kejriwal had vowed to make Punjab drug-free, a promise that remained unfulfilled. Bajwa said the law and order in Punjab had deteriorated after AAP came to power in the 2022 state polls.