A meeting of the core committee of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was held under the chairmanship of principal Budhram, committee Punjab unit wing chief at the party office at Garhshanker ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. Certain key decisions were unanimously taken at the meeting.Those who were in attendance included Punjab unit chief of the party and Sangrur MP, Bhagwant Mann, Opposition (LoP) in Punjab Vidhan Sabha, Harpal Singh Cheema, Kultar Singh Sandhwan, Professor Baljinder Kaur, Rupinder Kaur Ruby, Amarjit Singh Sandoa, Jai Kishan Singh Rori (All MLAs), Narinder Singh Shergill, AAP’ Lok Sabha candidate from Anandpur Sahib, Sukhwinder Sukhi, Manjit Singh Sidhu, Media in charge (Punjab unit).Interacting with the reporters after the meeting, Mann took a swipe at the Captain Amarinder Singh government, stating it had failed to implements one fourth of the promises made in its party manifesto. He said that the government had flopped on all fronts in terms of addressing farm distress by allowing complete loan waiver, offering employment to the youth in every household, stamping out the menace of drugs within four weeks of assuming power – Captain had taken a solemn vow to stamp out the menace in the august presence of Sri Gutka Sahib), improving the quality of education, and a slew of other people-centric issues. Mann lamented that corruption was at the peak in the state with the government sitting like a lame duck. He added that land mafia, liquour mafia, transport mafia, and drug mafia were ruling the roost in the state without the scantest fear of the law.
Commenting on the dismissed Sukhpal Singh Khaira, now president of the newly formed Punjab Ekta Party deciding to contest from Bathinda Parliamentary segment, was a calculative move to help Harsimrat Kaur Badal. He said that Khaira is known for his shifting loyalties faster than a drop of rain water. This also reflected the bonhomie of the ruling Captain Amarinder Singh Government to field party’s strong candidate to ensure Harsimrat’s win in the elections.Mann added that Captain had failed to live up to the expectations of the people of the state who reposed faith in the Congress Party. He is better known as a proxy chief minister, who visited his own constituency four times during two years span. He had no time to visit outlaying constituencies in the state.Mann said that the Aam Aadmi Party would go to the people of the state on the basis of its performance, be it raising the issues and concerns of the state of Punjab in the Lok Sabha by its elected representatives. He claimed that none other elected representative from other political parties had raised issues of concern that state was wrestling with. He said that if Delhi Government could implement the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission to address agrarian crisis, why can’t the Captain Government in Punjab?LoP Harpal Singh Cheema on the occasion said that the government should come clean on the menace of drug addiction being run by drug lords under the protective cover of the state government. He said the government could do a precious little to take an urgent call thereby dissuading the youth from falling into the vicious trap of drugs.