Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will soon initiate a Punjab dialogue with various segments of the society in the state to formulate a policy and manifesto for the forthcoming assembly polls slated for 2017.Addressing a press conference here AAP national Spokesperson and Incharge party affairs in Punjab Sanjay Singh, Delhi Dialogue Commission (DDC) chairman, Ashish Khaitan, National Organisational Secretary, Durgesh Pathak and Punjab convener, Sucha Singh Chhotepur, said the party would begin Punjab dialogue with people of Punjab from March 15.
Giving details of the ‘Punjab Dialogue’ Khaitan said that a team of AAP volunteers and party workers would reach out to various segments of the society in the days to come to learn about the problems and hardships they have been facing in the state under previous governments. Initially these sections would include farmers, youth, women, industrialists, traders, ex servicemen, labourers, professionals and government employees. Gradually the party would reach out to more segments to learn about their problems.
To begin with AAP would discuss issues such as spate of suicides being committed by farmers, widespread menace of drugs and narcotics, unemployment of the educated youth, corruption in public offices, deteriorating state of health and education, rule of Mafia in the sand, land, liquor, drugs, transport and cable network businesses, rising crime against women, growing atrocities against the Dalits and housing woes. Later on party would also include issues such as declining fiscal health, river waters and worsening of environment in the state.
This would not be the end of issues. As the Punjab dialogue would surely throw many more such issues pertaining to the people of Punjab, said Khaitan. During the Punjab dialogue the AAP volunteers would try to reach out to each and every household in the state to gather information from all sections of the society pertaining to various issues of their concern. Thereafter the party would hold state level dialogue with the intellectuals, thinkers and professionals and on the basis of which it would formulate a policy and the manifesto. Khaitan said the AAP would come out with the blue print of its policy and manifesto on August 15, the Independence Day.
Sanjay Singh said the manifesto of the AAP unlike other political parties would not just be glossy document which they release as a matter of ritual at the time of elections. “For us the manifesto will be our agreement with the people of Punjab which we will be committed to implement for the sake of better Punjab", said Sanjay Singh.Responding to a question that a picture was doing the rounds on the social media with a message that AAP would observe Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale's birth anniversary on February 12, Sanjay Singh said frustrated by the success of the party it was dirty politics being played by political rivals.
To another question that Punjab Congress Chief Captain Amarinder Singh has alleged that AAP would want to bring anarchy in the state by raising slogans such as Inquilab Zindabad, Sanjay Singh said this again showed congress party's nervousness.“The slogan of Inquilab Zindabad was given to Punjab by martyr Bhagat Singh, who fought against the repression of the British rule in India. The AAP simply wants to against corruption, drug, sand, liquor, transport and cable Mafia by raising such slogans".
People of Punjab do not even expect Amarinder to fight against the Akalis as he lacks, guts, conviction and capacity. “That’s why Amarinder has been opposing CBI probe against Punjab Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia over drugs. The Badal government even after eight years has not put up a challan pertaining to Amarinder's corruption case of Ludhiana city centre", said Sanjay Singh while adding that Amarinder's connivance with the Akalis was complete and an open secret.
In response to another question Sanjay Singh defended the hike in salary of the AAP MLAs in Delhi. He said for doing honest politics it was important that the legislators of the AAP must be paid reasonable money for their daily needs. " marinder should first explain about the Swiss bank accounts of his wife and former congress union minister Preneet Kaur, his son Ranninder Singh before pointing a finger towards AAP", added Sanjay Singh.