Putting an end to speculation that he would be the party’s chief ministerial candidate in Punjab, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday, said: “AAP’s chief minister in Punjab will be from Punjab.”
Mr. Kejriwal said he would not be Chief Minister of Punjab as being propagated by the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Congress. “I am elected by people of Delhi for five years to serve them.”
“Whosoever be the Chief Minister, I guarantee that all my promises will be fulfilled,” he said, addressing series of rallies in Badshahpur and Patran in Patiala.
The assertion comes a day after Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia’s statement in Mohali that the people of Punjab should vote for the AAP thinking that it is for Kejriwal.
‘Will eradicate drugs’
“The AAP has prepared a 150-point charter for Punjab. My first priority would be to eradicate drugs and cut the supply of narcotics within a month. We will cancel all fake cases filed under the NDPC act by the ruling government against innocent youth who opposed drug mafia,” he said.
He said the AAP government would create a special task force of senior doctors for de-addiction and create 25 lakh jobs to bring back the youth to the mainstream.
“We will give an exemplary punishment to culprits involved in incidents of sacrilege of holy Guru Granth Sahib so that nobody in future repeats such heinous crime,” he said, adding that he was deeply pained at the incidents of sacrilege in Punjab. Criticising the SAD-BJP government, he said that not even a single accused had been arrested so far.
‘Farm loans will be waived’
Mr. Kejriwal said other priorities of the AAP government would be waiving of farmers’ loans and implementing the recommendations of Swaminathan report on crop prices within three years.
“The SAD-BJP government cheated people in the name of welfare schemes and embezzled funds meant for the poor,” he alleged, adding that AAP will enhance the pension for the old, handicapped and widows from the existing Rs.500 to Rs.2,500 per month.
He said that eradicating corruption would be another priority. “In Delhi, the AAP has created corruption-free governance. “Badal family looted Punjab for ten years and made unaccounted wealth.. We will take account of every single pie,” he said.
He alleged that Capt. Amarinder Singh, during his tenure as Chief Minister from 2002 to 2007, had deposited his ill-gotten money in Swiss bank. “We have the bank account number and will bring back the money,” he added.
Mr. Kejriwal said that education and health system in Punjab had collapsed and private schools and hospitals have mushroomed.
“Badal government had systematically ruined the primary education and health services in the state. I promised to set up a dispensary in every village and refurbish the government schools,” he said.
