NEW DELHI/PUNJAB:
Calling Punjab’s Chief Minister, ‘Dramebaaz’ Charanjit Channi out on his hollow promises ahead of the 2022 elections, AAP National Spokesperson and MLA Raghav Chadha exposed the facade of Congress’ empty election gimmicks. He said that the hollow promise of cheap electricity in Punjab is an electoral stunt of ‘Dramebaaz’ Punjab CM Charanjit Channi; the electricity rates have been reduced only till March 31, 2022 and if the people of Punjab get deceived by this electoral stunt of Congress, then electricity rates will get expensive again after March 31, 2022. He said that CM Channi is a bonafide Draamebaaz and his promise is like Captain Amarinder’s fake promise of employment, there is no difference between them. He announced AAP’s challenge to the Congress saying if this is not an election stunt, then make electricity rates cheaper in Congress ruled Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra too. Shri Chadha said that Charanjit Channi was terrified by Arvind Kejriwal’s Bijli Guarantee, due to which he has made false promises to the people on the issue of electricity. He stressed that the Aam Aadmi Party is moving ahead in Punjab at a rapid pace; there is only one that the people say now — Arvind Kejriwal’s government has to be formed in Punjab in the 2022 elections.
Talking about Punjab’s sitting Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi’s recent press conference announcements, AAP National Spokesperson and MLA Raghav Chadha said, “We want to be straightforward and say that Dramebaaz Channi Sahab is working to hoodwink the public, to mislead them. In Congress party’s 4.5 year rule in Punjab, despite having the mandate, they have proved to be the most incompetent, ineffective government. Throughout their term, no MLA, ministers, or even the CM left the comforts of their luxurious homes to do their job, to help the public. For all 4.5 years, the people of Punjab were sold the most expensive electricity in the country, they were looted by the Congress Government. Now that elections are close, they are misleading the people of Punjab. Both Channi Sahab and Congress party’s internal surveys know very well that Aam Aadmi Party is headed to form the government in Punjab in the upcoming elections with full force. Everyone is echoing the name of Aam Aadmi Party seeing their crucial promises. The inclination of some 30 lakh families in Punjab towards AAP as a result of Kejriwal’s free electricity guarantee peeved Channi Sahab into making hasty and gimmicky announcements concerning electricity.”
Raghav Chadha continued, “I would like to address important points with reference to these shallow promises and announcements made by Channi Sahab: in all Congress ruled states throughout the country, electricity rates are exorbitant – highest in India – be it Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra’s alliance. So if lowering the rate of electricity was truly the vision of the Congress party, then it would give cheaper electricity to its people in other states regardless of elections. But that is clearly not the case. Unabashedly the common people are being robbed just so that they can get a power supply in these states — the government is stealing from its people in broad daylight. But since Channi Sahab has the Punjab Vidhan Sabha elections looming over his head, the Congress party has presented yet another election stunt with the promise of lowering electricity rates — something which we know will merely last at most until said elections, for just a few months.”
He further elaborated, “My second point is that the announcements made by Dramebaaz Channi Singh is nothing but an election gimmick. That the deduction in electricity rates that have been promised will only last until 31st March 2022. A mere five months of false relief has been promised to the people of Punjab to mislead them, to hoodwink them in order to secure their votes for the 2022 elections. 31st March is the expiry date for this gimmick, when all this drama will end and the cutbacks being provided in electricity rates through subsidies will vanish. So I would like to caution the people of Punjab, to warn them that the fraud and election stunts of Dramebaaz Channi must be avoided. CM Channi is trying to erase the stain of the corrupt government of four and a half years through these gimmicks. People have made up their mind to rid themselves of the Congress rule. Congress has become the sinking Titanic and has collided with the iceberg. And it is not in a state that with some mere quick fixes, Channi can save this ship from sinking.”
MLA Raghav Chadha continued, “Chief Minister Channi is fond of taking good photo ops and is always busy pretending as if he cares. Every day many people reach with dozens of cameras and get the perfect picture or video taken. But this is no way to contest an election. It is not at all how elections are won. To actually win, one has to work for the people and help make their lives easier. Chief Minister Channi was seen doing the Bhangra dance a few days ago. Before that, he was spotted wearing the goalkeeper’s outfit, walking down a hockey field. Not just this, Channi Sahab doesn’t leave a single opportunity of being photographed, crossing all bounds by even stopping the vehicle so he could stop a married couple and get photographed handing them ‘Shagan’.”
He said, “In the state where Charanjit Channi has become the Chief Minister, there is a debt of three lakh crores. Punjab has the highest rate of unemployment in India. The farmers of Punjab have been struggling on the streets for over a year now. Many generations of Punjab have been ruined by the illicit drug trade. It does not suit the Chief Minister of such a struggling state to indulge in activities and public stunts like that of doing Bhangra on camera, to be photographed, to play football, or to be photographed dressed as a goalkeeper. People of Punjab need ground work, actual change. People’s hearts cannot be won by drama. You cannot buy people’s vote by making electricity cheaper by Rs 3 a unit for five months. You cannot fool people like this. Everyone can see through your facade and knows that this empty election gimmick of lowering the electricity rate will end on 31st March 2022.
Raghav Chadha added, “I challenge the Congress party that if this is not an election stunt, then make electricity cheap in all Congress ruled states in the country. If this is indeed not an election gimmick, then Congress should make electricity rates cheaper throughout Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra. In the last elections in Punjab, Congress’s chief ministerial candidate Captain Amarinder Singh distributed job cards and said that he would give door-to-door jobs to the people. None of this was ever realised. In fact, even the person with whom he was photographed during the campaign did not get a job. He is also a victim of the perpetual unemployment that plagues the state of Punjab under the incompetent governance of Channi Sahab’s cabinet. Dramebaaz CM Channi’s promise is the same as that of Captain Amarinder concerning door-to-door employment generation, there is absolutely no difference. It is just that CM Channi’s promise will be visible for three to four months, after which it will vanish into thin air. I want to warn the people of Punjab to not get caught in this five-month fraud.”
He said, “Arvind Kejriwal gave his first guarantee to the people of Punjab that the AAP government would provide electricity 24 x 7 in Punjab. Apart from this, free electricity will be given up to 300 units. Power will be supplied without any cut. Only one man knows how to fulfill promises, his name is Arvind Kejriwal. It has been done in Delhi. In Punjab, today, there is a power cut of 10 to 15 hours. Earlier it used to happen in Delhi also. But ever since Arvind Kejriwal’s government was formed in Delhi, electricity comes 24 hours on all seven days. Now no one buys inverters or generators in Delhi. Electricity comes all the time and is free. Our leader has a ‘Saaf Niyat’ and the whole of India knows this. We will show this in the coming times in Punjab. Will advise Dramebaaz Chief Minister Channi to work more, and get less photos and videos clicked.”
