AICC leader and former union minister Sachin Pilot on Tuesday hit out at Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal for leaving the national capital in a mess while promoting his personal interests in Punjab and Goa, questioning how he could hope to manage a large state like Punjab when he could not run the government in the national capital.Addressing mediapersons here, Sachin also came down heavily on the SAD-BJP combine for ruining Punjab, despite the fact that the BJP was ruling at the Centre. Punjab is in a major mess, ranking second in the number of farmer suicides in the country, he lamented, adding that the Congress will change the face of the state and put it back on the path of progress after coming to power.Describing Kejriwal as a big-time liar, Sachin pointed out that despite having taken an oath not to leave Delhi, the AAP leader was busy electioneering in Punjab and Goa, exposing himself to be a self-centered individual engaged in befooling people with his tall promises and claims. Kejriwal has been simply exploiting people’s sentiment, using even Anna Hazare to promote his interests before dumping him, and has done nothing for Delhi except stage dharnas, said Sachin.
Referring to the misrule of the Akalis, the AICC leader from Delhi said people had given them 10 years, during which they had completely devastated the state, destroying its economy, agriculture and industry, and plunging its youth into drugs. He reiterated the promise of AICC vice president Rahul Gandhi and PPCC president Captain Amarinder Singh that the drug mafia in Punjab would be wiped out within four weeks of the Congress assuming power.After 10 years of ruining Punjab, the Akalis, led by the Badals, have no right even to ask the people of the state for votes, said Sachin Pilot, warning that SAD would leave BJP after being defeat in the Punjab elections just as the Shiv Sena had done in Maharashtra.Responding to a question, Sachin said there was no competition for the Congress, which was way ahead of both SAD and AAP in Punjab.To another question, he replied that demonetisation would have an impact on elections across India, and not just in Punjab. He further said notebandi had failed to counter terrorism, as claimed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.In response to a question, Sachin said Sonia Gandhi was the party’s star campaigner and they had requested her to participate in the Congress electioneering.