Chandigarh, January 24
Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu on Monday dubbed AAP’s survey to select its CM face for the state Assembly polls a “scam” and “deceptive scheme” and said his party has lodged a complaint with the Election Commission against it.
Sidhu also launched a scathing attack against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal, calling him a “trickster and hypocrite”.
Addressing reporters at a press conference here, Sidhu urged the Election Commission to register criminal cases against AAP for running a “fake campaign”.
PPCC president Navjot Singh Sidhu addressing to media at Punjab Bhawan in Chandigarh on Monday. Tribune photo: Pradeep Tewari
AAP had announced its Punjab unit chief Bhagwant Mann as its CM face last week following a survey in which people were asked to call on a phone number to give their preference.
Kejriwal had claimed that they had received over 21.59 lakh responses from January 13 to 17 under the “Janta Chunegi Apna CM” campaign and 93.3 per cent people had given Bhagwant Mann’s name.
Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu got 3.6 per cent votes, the Delhi chief minister had added.
The Congress leader said this many calls can’t be received on a private number over a few days.
“If we try to fit this data into mathematical calculations, then it does not make sense at all. Usually, such calls take at least 15 seconds, then only 5,760 calls can be attended in one day and that shall add up to 23,040 calls in four days,” he said.
“It is a deceptive scam to trick people. This is exactly what he (Kejriwal) has done,” he said.
“This mechanism of deceit to create an illusion and propaganda of fake news is a complete violation of the model code of conduct and the Election Commission of India should take strict notice of it,” Sidhu said.
He said the Congress has complained to the election panel as to how Kejriwal is trying to “befool” people of Punjab through “dirty tricks”.
Kejriwal is a “trickster and a hypocrite,” said Sidhu.
“I will expose this hypocrite, he is a habitual liar. This was an avoidable lie. Why would you create all this nonsense and propaganda to do something like this? But if he has done this, it is not the first time. We have seen earlier how he went on an apology-tendering spree, including Bikram Singh Majithia,” said Sidhu.
In the complaint to the Election Commission, Sidhu has written that AAP received around 7 lakh WhatsApp messages, 2.50 lakh voice messages and approximately 8 lakh voice calls.
Sidhu urged the poll panel to register criminal cases against AAP.
“Due an inquiry be conducted and in case, this campaign is found to be fake, in such an instance, the Election Commission is requested to register criminal cases against the Aam Aadmi Party through its national president Arvind Kejriwal under relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code,” wrote Sidhu in a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner.
Reacting to the charge, AAP leader Raghav Chadha said Sidhu’s pain is he got only over 3 per cent votes in the AAP’s campaign.
“His own party does not take him seriously, then why should we take him seriously.” Chadha said “Sidhu is the drama queen of Punjab politics”.
“Sidhu used unparliamentary language against AAP and our leader Arvind Kejriwal, we condemn it. He is frustrated that he was not made the CM when Amarinder Singh was removed.”
“His party has not declared him CM face so far and no other party is willing to take him, so all his frustrations are coming out,” he said.
The AAP leader further said, “Sidhu’s mission is to divert the real issue, which is illegal mining racket,” the leader said.
“After the Enforcement Directorate raids, entire Punjab is seeking answer from the Congress and the chief minister,” he said.
“When AAP carried out a raid in December and exposed how illegal sand mining was going on at Jindapur village in Chief Minister Channi’s Chamkaur Sahib constituency, Sidhu had maintained complete silence. Sidhu who keeps speaking about cable mafia, drug mafia, other mafia, did not utter a word when we exposed the illegal activity,” said Chadha.
