Former MP Prof Prem Singh Chandumajra today said the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had proved that it was with the ‘khas aadmi’ by the manner in which it had joined hands with the liquor mafia to suppress a peaceful movement agitating against pollution of ground water in Zira.
Addressing a press conference here, Prof Chandumajra, while condemning the suppression of the peaceful movement against establishment of a liquor distillery in Zira, said it was condemnable that chief minister Bhagwant Mann had changed his stand within the space of twelve hours and turned against the peaceful protesters.
“The chief minister held a meeting with the farmers agitating against the distillery and assured them that all their demands would be met. He even deputed his minister Kuldeep Dhaliwal for this purpose.
However within the space of twelve hours he took a decision to uproot the tents of the protesters, round them up and even use force against them to leave the dharna site. This is highly condemnable”, he added.
Asking the chief minister to tell Punjabis under what pressure he had taken a u turn on this issue, Prof Chandumajra said “it seems the liquor mafia has got the better of the chief minister”.
He said earlier also the AAP government had gone soft on the liquor mafia and not taken any action against those who established illegal distilleries and bottling plants during the erstwhile Congress government. “Acts such as these is the reason why the common man has lost faith in the AAP government and why gangsters and extortionists are having a field day in the State”.
Prof Chandumajra while extending support to the farmers, who are protesting against the establishment of the distillery in Zira, said it was condemnable that the AAP government was turning a blind eye to the issue of pollution of groundwater.
He said groundwater pollution was a serious problem in Punjab as it was not only harming the viability of various crops but also the livelihoods of people who were dependent on agriculture for their survival.