Jalandhar, April 22
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) termed all the allegations of Navjot Singh Sidhu as baseless lies and said that even after the people of Amritsar had defeated Sidhu and he went to jail for his Crimes, still Sidhu has learnt no lesson.
Senior AAP leader and Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, along with cabinet minister Brahm Shankar Jimpa and AAP Punjab general secretary Harchand Singh Barsat, addressed a press conference here in Jalandhar and reminded Navjot Singh Sidhu how he was part of corrupt Congress government and never raised his voice for Punjab.
AAP leader said that Congress had its government in Punjab from 2017 to 2022 and before coming to the power they promised the moon to the people of Punjab. Their promises included ‘Ghar ghar Naukri’, complete debt waiver of farmers, end mafia rule and corruption, justice in cases of sacrilege, Kotakpura and Behbal Kalan killings etc. But we all know Captain Amarinder Singh, who was Congress’s chief minister for four and half years, and his cabinet was complete failure. After Captain, Charanjit Singh Channi was appointed as CM but crores of rupees were recovered from the house of his own nephew.
Cheema said that SAD-BJP established corruption and mafias were rampant and flourishing in Congress government. Channi and Sidhu both were ‘gems of Captain’s cabinet’ who did nothing for Punjab for four and half years. Their chief ministers, party state president and former president were all alleged for corruption, liquor mafia and transport mafia. Sidhu himself had broken the law, hurt somebody and faced jail. They were all hand in hand to loot the Punjab. Cheema added that our party was in opposition for 2017-22 and I was the leader of opposition. We fulfilled our responsibility of opposition with complete honesty and raised the issues of Punjab and common people everyday. It was their anti people and anti Punjab decisions and policies that the people of Punjab has rejected them and elected an honest AAP government.
He said that 128 people died because of illicit liquor during Congress rule and now Navjot Singh Sidhu is going to the houses of the people responsible for those deaths, people who are responsible for corruption, mafia and loot of Punjab’s exchequer.
Taking a jibe at Sidhu, Cheema said that he is calling AAP government a ‘non performing government’ but he is simply unaware. Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government has given 28,000 jobs. 300 units per month free electricity is being given since last July. 90% households of Punjab are getting zero electricity bill but Navjot Singh Sidhu is unaware because Congressmen have palaces, 20-25 ACs in their houses so they’re not getting zero bills. Cheema said that we paid 20,200 crore of electricity subsidy to PSPCL and we’ll clear 9300 crores of pending subsidy ammount too. We introduced new liquor policy and eradicated the liquor mafia from the state. Historic increase of 41.41% in liquor revenue was registered. We also freed thousands acres of illegally encroached land from the corrupt people and now the revenue from that land is also going to the treasury of Punjab. We opened 500 plus mohalla clinics in just one year and new hospitals are being built. Education budget was increased by 17% and schools of Eminence are being established. Teachers are being sent abroad for quality training and the children of poor are getting quality education in government schools. We are giving ex-gratia of 1 crore to the families of martyrs and with One MLA – One Pension the wastage of taxpayers’ money has been stopped.
Cheema asked how come Navjot Singh Sidhu is not aware of it all, perhaps he is, like other congressmen, just jealous and confused that how a government can perform so well and fulfill all its major election guarantees in just one year. Cheema said Navjot Singh Sidhu is just a ‘Jhooth di dukan’ and asked if he actually had any concern for Punjab then why did he remain silent when his colleagues were looting Punjab? Why didn’t he raise his voice against the corruption and ‘non performance of Congress government’? Why did Sidhu stay silent on SC scholarship scam, post matric scholarship scam, liquor mafia, sand mafia and transport mafia during his government? Is he giving clean chit to Bharat Bhushan Ashu or to the people who had money counting machines at home? Cheema said Sidhu must give answers of these questions to the people of Punjab.
