Chandigarh, February 3
Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) Punjab affairs co-in-charge Raghav Chadha, reacting to Punjab Congress leader Sunil Jakhar’s statement about Chief Minister selection, said that Congress has always been doing politics on the basis of caste-religion. Congress is also conspiring to divide the people on the basis of caste and religion by giving religious color to the politics of Punjab. The biggest example of this is senior Congress leader Sunil Jakhar. Even after the support of 42 MLAs, Sunil Jakhar was not appointed as CM just because he is Hindu.
Addressing the media at the party headquarters on Wednesday, Raghav Chadha cited the statement of Sunil Jakhar, in which he said that 42 MLAs agreed on Jakhar’s name in the Congress MLAs’ meeting held after the removal of Captain Amarinder Singh from the post of Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa 16, Preneet Kaur 12, Navjot Sidhu 6 and Chief Minister Channi had the support of only two MLAs. He said that it is very shameful that Congress expelled Sunil Jakhar from the CM race just because he is Hindu and appointed Charanjit Singh Channi as their CM with the support of only 2 MLAs. He added that it was done with the intention of dividing the people of Punjab on the basis of caste and religion.
Chadha said that the Congress party is trying to divide the people in Punjab by sowing the seeds of hatred. But Punjab is the land of Gurus. That’s why Punjabis will never allow such plans of Congress to come to the fruition. Mutual brotherhood and love is the beauty of the people of Punjab. The people here like peace and brotherhood and they don’t discriminate on the basis on caste or religion.
Claiming that Congress is only using Sunil Jakhar’s name for Hindu votes, Raghav Chadha raised few questions; when Sunil Jakhar is not in the race for the chief minister’s post, why his photo is on the Congress’s hoardings along with Navjot Singh Sidhu and Charanjit Singh Channi? Congress is giving only two options to the people to choose their on their Chief Minister face; One Navjot Singh Sidhu and the other Charanjit Singh Channi. Why was Sunil Jakhar not an option? Third, when 42 MLAs voted for Sunil Jakhar, why did Congress not appoint Sunil Jakhar as Chief Minister? Sunil Jakhar is not facing any allegations of sand mafia, corruption or drug mafia, why he is not in the race of Congress’s CM face?
Chadha said that Congress should stop dividing Punjab on the name of religion and caste as it is not going to succeed in these nefarious efforts. Aam Aadmi Party prays to God for peace and brotherhood of Punjab and tells Congress party not to discriminate against people on the basis of caste and religion. Aam Aadmi Party condemn Congress’s behaviour towards Sunil Jakhar and hope that Congress will act as a responsible political party in these elections.
