Congress candidate from Anandpur Sahab Manish Tewari today accused sitting MP and the Akali-BJP candidate Prem Singh Chandumajra for letting down the constituency both inside and outside the parliament.“During last five years Sri Anandpur Sahab got just 5 mentions in the Lok Sabha that too written only, that means it did not come for discussion in the house, thanks to the callous indifference of the local MP, Chandumajra”, Tewari disclosed while addressing an impressive workers’ meeting here today.“It is not only that he was found missing from the constituency, Mr Chandumajra was also found lacking in raising the issues related to Sri Anandpur Sahab inside the parliament also”, he said, while adding he had squandered a precious chance.Instead, Tewari added, Chandumajra was more interested in Sanaur, the assembly segment of his son which falls in Patiala where he diverted funds meant for Sri Anandpur Sahab.Later talking to reporters, the national spokesman of the Congress said, he had envisaged a comprehensive development vision for the constituency, promising to do double the development works he got done in Ludhiana.He asked people that they can confirm and cross check from their friends and relatives in Ludhiana where he had got approved a textile park, special Shatabadi train for Ludhiana, resumption of flights from Ludhiana airport, Rs 1500 crores spent on rural roads, to name just a few projects.
The former minister disagreed with the suggestion that drugs were still available in Punjab on the same scale as during the Akali-BJP regime. “During the Akali-BJP regime the drug peddlers got official patronage and that is not the case under Congress regime”, he said, while adding, “we have promised and we are committed to eradicate drugs and we definitely will and the process is already on”.Replying to a question on the transfer of the Inspector General of Police Kunwar Vijay Partap from the SIT probing the Bargadi sacrilege, Tewari said, the Election Commission of India should not have done it since it will affect the progress of the probe.To a question on Jagmeet Brar joining the Akali Dal, the Congress candidate said, he was one of his old colleagues and he did not want to comment on his (Brar’s) decision. “However, I want to add that Mr Brar does not stay for long anywhere and we are not sure for how long he will stay in Akali Dal and whether he will stay till May 19”, he remarked.Tewari disclosed that he had completed the first round the workers’ meeting in all the nine assembly segments falling under the parliamentary constituency.He thanked all the leaders including Rana KP Singh, Charanjit Singh Channi, Balbir Singh Sidhu, Angad Singh, Chaudhary Darshan Lal, Jagmohan Singh Kang, Love Kumar Goldy, Barinder Dhillon and others for organising successful programmes.“Given the reliance I have got during these meetings, it has become too clear even much before the nomination as what is going to be the result”, he remarked.Tewari will be filing his nomination papers on April 29.