Navjot Sidhu accused AAP of “selling lies” to people to seize power in Punjab. (File)
chandigarh:
Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu on Thursday called Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann a “rubber doll”, referring to the opposition’s accusation that the state government is led by the Delhi AAP leadership.
He claimed law and order in Punjab has “deteriorated dramatically” under the Mann government, killing 40 in a month.
Mr Sidhu, along with former MLAs Navtej Singh Cheema and Ashwani Sekhri, met Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit in Chandigarh and raised various issues including public order in the state.
After the meeting, the congress leader said, “Does he (Bhagwant Mann) care about Punjab?” “The Prime Minister is a”rubber da gudda‘ (rubber doll),’ Sidhu told reporters.
“The Prime Minister of Punjab should be”ankhila‘ (a self-respecting man) who could not be pulled by strings,’ added Sidhu.
“Someone is playing the game, but someone else is dancing and speaking. The person who is playing the game while sitting in Delhi is the masquerade and he is being exposed,” Sidhu said in an apparent dig at AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal.
The former head of the Punjab Congress said law and order in the state has “deteriorated drastically” under Mann’s government.
He claimed 40 people have been killed in the state in the past month.
Sidhu alleged that the Punjab government is using the police to target those who raise their voices against Kejriwal.
“You’re politicking the police to use them for your own interests,” he said, attacking the AAP government.
“Or it is”badlav‘ (change) or ‘badla“(vendetta) … vendetta politics has begun,” he said.
Mr Sidhu’s comments came a day after Punjab police visited the homes of former AAP Congress leader Kumar Vishwas and Alka Lamba in connection with a case registered for “incendiary statements” against Mr Kejriwal.
Both leaders were summoned for questioning on April 26.
Mr Sidhu targeted the Aam Aadmi party, accusing it of “selling lies” to people to seize power in Punjab.
“You have sold lies and dreams, but you have no means to fulfill them,” Mr Sidhu said.
“What was the need to make high promises?” he asked, pointing out that Punjab’s financial position was the “worst” in the country.
He said 85 percent of state revenues are spent on salaries, pensions and debt repayment.
On electricity, the former head of the Punjab Congress asked the Mann-led government how it will meet the rising demand.
“Today, power demand has reached 8,000 MW and the government is unable to meet it,” said Sidhu, claiming thermal power plants are closing due to a shortage of coal.
“If the demand for power reaches 15,000 MW, how are they going to meet it?” he asked.
Mr Sidhu demanded that wheat growers get Rs 500 per quintal for crop yield drop due to the early onset of the heat wave.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DailyExpertNews staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.)
