Aam Aadmi Party supremo and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday travelled 500 kilometers to Amritsar in an apparent attempt to reduce the distance between his party and electoral success before announcing that its Chief Ministerial candidate in Punjab will be from the Sikh community. The announcement came as ‘aam aadmi ka policewala’ and former IPS office Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh joined AAP in Kejriwal’s presence.
The induction of Kunwar Partap — who has been the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh’s most-trusted officer and was leading the Congress-led Punjab Government’s battle against the sacrilege till the Punjab and Haryana High Court quashed the Government constituted SIT — in AAP provided it the much-needed shot in the arm and a morale booster to the otherwise dispirited party cadre in Punjab ahead 2022 polls.
In fact, the significance of Kunwar Pratap in Punjab’s existing political situation, where the issue of sacrilege is once again expected to be a major poll plank just like it was in 2017, could be gauged from the fact that Kejriwal himself landed in Amritsar to induct his “Afsar bhai”.
Virtually launching the party’s election campaign, Kejriwal promised to put the culprits of the Bargari sacrilege behind bars besides ensuring justice to the people of Punjab after the formation of AAP government.
“Kunwar Vijay Pratap is not a politician; neither his parents, nor he belong to a political background…AAP is also not a party of the politicians, neither we have come to do politics; but only for the nation and for the welfare of the people,” declared Kejriwal.
Showering praises on the former cop, Kejriwal said that Punjab’s every child knows about Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh. “Even his opponents swear of his honesty. He has remained a dedicated cop of the common people, who struggled to get justice for the people of Punjab in the Bargari sacrilege case,” he said adding that the entire Punjab was watching how the masterminds of the Bargari sacrilege and the Kotkapura firing case were roaming freely.
“Kunwar Vijay Pratap did a thorough investigation, found out everything in the case; but the system was against him…When he was unable to do anything while being there in the system, he resigned. It is not an easy task. He did not leave the job for himself but for the people of Punjab to get them justice,” said Kejriwal.
Delhi Chief Minister said that we all are here to serve the nation and with this sentiment, “Kunwar Vijay Pratap has joined the party today”.
Kunwar Pratap was part of the now disbanded Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the cases of police firing after the desecration of Guru Granth Sahib in 2015. He resigned after the High Court quashed the SIT, headed by him, and directed the Government to constitute new SIT without Kunwar Pratap.
Welcoming Kunwar Pratap, AAP’s Punjab unit president Bhagwant Mann said that joining of such an officer, who marks honesty and hard work, is a sign of a change, which represents the common people.
“People had hoped after Kunwar Vijay Pratap’s appointment as the head of SIT probing the Bargari sacrilege case, that the culprits would definitely be punished. But the system is corrupt and the ruling party is working in collusion to save the real culprits,” he said.
GUILTY OF KOTKAPURA POLICE FIRING DICTATING TERMS TO GOVT: KUNWAR PRATAP
Mincing no words, Punjab’s former IG and protagonist of the State Government’s battle against sacrilege Kunwar Partap on Monday claimed that those guilty of Kotkapura police firing incidents were dictating terms to the Government. Indicating at how the entire system failed to punish those who were guilty of disrespecting the Sikhs’ holy scriptures, Kunwar Partap said: “If Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji could not get justice on the land of Punjab, then what would be the condition of the common man.”
Talking about 2015 sacrilege and Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan police firing probe, he reiterated that the conclusion was given without taking into consideration the outcome of the report that was filed in the Faridkot court. “I resigned because after doing so much hard work, the report was given in Faridkot sessions court, but the order came from Chandigarh….On the date of hearing in the High Court, the Advocate General of Punjab went on leave, he added.
“Now we are going to start a revolution from the land of the holy city. People’s power must go to the people. We are here to establish a new political sphere where we will be instrumental in bringing reforms,” he said. Punjab’s former cop said that with the formation of AAP’s government, the “common people will be able to use their power. We will work together as a family. Whatever responsibility would be given to me, I would work diligently to strengthen the party”.
KEJRIWAL ATTACKS HIS RIVALS
Taking a dig at the ruling Congress and other parties in Punjab, AAP’s national convener said that Punjab was going through a hard time as the people were suffering due to COVID outbreak, “but the ruling Congress party is busy in internal feud for the sake of chair”.
“There is another party in Punjab which is facing charges of corruption, and another which is not even allowed to enter a locality. And none of these parties care for Punjab,” he said.
Kejriwal said that the people are seeing and have started saying that in Delhi, AAP was given a chance once and now there is 24 hours free electricity.
“They say that the Government schools in Delhi have become excellent with better facilities in hospitals and clinics in every locality…The people say if AAP can do it in five years, then what the other parties have done in 70 years,” he said, adding that the people of Punjab now want change and are saying that they also want the same facilities and services.
Kejriwal said that earlier, the people did not have any option, but now they have. “The people of Punjab had given chances to all three parties, but nothing has changed as these parties are only after the chair, power, and corruption,” he added.