Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today castigated the national convener of the Aam Adami Party (AAP) Mr. Arvind Kejriwal for taking politics at the lowest ebb following alleged involvement of its MLAs and party workers in one scandal after another.Talking to the media persons on the sidelines of the swearing-in-ceremony of the newly appointed Information Commissioners and members of Punjab Public Service Commission here at Raj Bhawan this morning, Mr. Badal said that he has seen such indecent and undemocratic happenings for the first time during his long political career by the leaders of any political party. He said that Mr. Kejriwal owe an explanation to the women of this country for bringing disgrace and dishonor to their dignity and nobility and should apologize to them for tormenting their psyche through indecent behavior of his party colleagues. He said, “It is very unfortunate and painful that AAP volunteers are indulging in hooliganism throwing all the norms of political expediency to the wind, which is a slur on the fair name of democracy.”
Asked to comment on Kejriwal’s plan to purchase a house in Punjab, the Chief Minister taking a jibe at Kejriwal said, “It is immaterial for us whether he settles here or at Delhi but one thing I must say that first of all he should put his own house (AAP) in order and teach the basic lesson of morality and its relevance in value based politics to the entire rank and file of his party.”Answering another query on the prospects of fourth front in the State politics, Mr. Badal said that it was a pack of disgruntled and rejected politicians who were vying to grab power in Punjab by hook or crook. He categorically said that this front would have hardly any impact on the SAD-BJP alliance as we were determined to fight the forthcoming assembly polls exclusively on the plank of development. The Chief Minister pointed out that as the state assembly election approaches near, many such political outfits or fronts would mushroom which would be eventually vanished from the scene once the election process was over. The Chief Minister said that the sole objective of these opportunistic leaders was to pursue their personal agenda than to serve the masses with commitment. Mr. Badal said that only those political parties survive for long, which have a glorious past to serve the mankind with devotion and commitment and with all humility said Shiromani Akali Dal would ever cherish the aspiration of people.
Lambasting at Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) President Capt. Amarinder Singh for staging dharna in front of Deputy Commissioner’s office in Bathinda in support of farmers’ issues, Mr. Badal said that Capt. was fond of playing gallery to the people and now he was indulging in these gimmicks just to woo the farmers. He asked Amarinder Singh to go through soul searching exercise just to ascertain the reality that what he had done for the welfare of farmers during his regime from 2002 to 2007 as Chief Minister. Capt. would be ashamed of himself that he took the lead to discontinue free power to the farmers and took several other anti-farmer decisions to make hell of farmers’ life just to satisfy his ego whereas SAD-BJP alliance government during its near decade long regime (2007-2016) had took several path breaking decisions for the well being of peasantry besides paying near Rs.5000 crore annually as subsidy to Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) on account of free power in farm sector besides initiating a scheme to provide interest free loans upto Rs.50,000/-.On the occasion, the Chief Minister was accompanied by Education Minister Dr. Daljeet Singh Cheema and his Special Principal Secretary Mr. Gaggandip Singh Brar.