Punjab CM slams Kejriwal on farm debt waiver remark
Darpan News Desk IANS, 16 Jul, 2021 11:15 AM
Chandigarh, July 16 (IANS) Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Friday slammed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) over its criticism of his government's decision on debt waiver for farm labourers and landless farmers, saying it exposed the Arvind Kejriwal party's "anti-farmer stance".
"The AAP reaction was on expected lines, considering that the party had never shown any interest in doing anything for the farming community," he said, noting that the Kejriwal government in Delhi was among the first to notify one of the "controversial and draconian" farm laws of the Central government.
"The fact is that AAP does not care for the welfare of the agricultural community and is opposed to any decision that is in favour of the farmers," said Amarinder Singh in a statement.
"Unlike AAP, whose pre-poll promises are nothing but mere theatrics to woo the voters, the Congress government believes in implementing its promises," he said, reminding AAP that the debt waiver for farm labourers and landless farmers was not an announcement made on the eve of the 2022 Assembly polls but a promise contained in the Punjab Congress manifesto.
Despite the severe financial constraints faced by his government and compounded by the Covid pandemic, he was committed to the implementation of each of the 2017 election promises, he asserted.
Ridiculing Kejriwal's promise of free power units in every state he is visiting to kick off party's poll campaign, the Chief Minister dubbed the AAP leader as a "master of manipulation".
Even in Delhi, where the AAP government claims to be giving free power, an analysis of the data shows that what the citizens of the national capital are getting in terms of relief in power costs was actually less than in Punjab, apart from the fact that the farmers of Delhi had got not a paisa worth of support or relief from the Kejriwal government, he added.
It was evident, said the Chief Minister, that AAP had "manipulated the figures to spread misinformation -- an art they have mastered".
Amarinder Singh noted that even after six years of AAP in power, the people of Delhi were deprived of even basic amenities like water and healthcare facilities.
The much-touted Delhi model of governance had proved to be a total failure, he said, adding that neither Punjab nor any other stated wanted a slice of it.
After Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh met the party panel on the state in the national capital on Tuesday, former Congress President Rahul Gandhi has stepped in to defuse the tension in the state unit. Gandhi has given utmost importance to the state, meeting stake holders who have sought time from him, said sources.
The Delhi police have arrested two men for breaking into a bank in Shahdara area and fleeing with nearly Rs 55 lakh, officials said. Police have also recovered hammer, chisel, and helmets from their possession.
The induction ceremony was held in the holy city of Amritsar, some 300 km from the state capital, where Kejriwal came on a day-long visit.After joining the politics, Kunwar Vijay Pratap blamed the accused of the sacrilege case for dictating the state government.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has congratulated the people of the country for a record single day vaccination drive on Monday. Expressing happiness over the fact that 80 lakh people got the vaccine jab on Monday, the Prime Minister praised the frontline Corona warriors for their hard work via a Twitter post.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday apprised Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal of the administration's action plan to battle the possible third wave of Covid in the national capital.
Punjab Police on Friday cracked a multi-crore rupee interstate fake Remdesivir manufacturing racket with the arrest of six people, including the kingpin, who used to black market fake replicas of the life-saving anti-viral drug used to treat critical Covid-19 patients.
