Delhi Chief Minister AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday denied charges of promoting bribery by asking voters to take money from other parties and vote for AAP in Punjab and Goa.
Kejriwal was asked to respond to an Election Commission notice that he appealed to Goa voters to take money offered by other political parties but vote for the AAP. The BJP had complained to the poll panel.
“I had faced similar allegations ahead of the Delhi assembly elections of 2015 too and the court ruled in my favour…I am not encouraging bribery,” he said.
Kejriwal at the same time, upped the ante against the ruling Badals, alleging they have “looted” Punjab and will be held accountable for their “misdeeds” if AAP forms the government. He also reiterated his charge that Congress was colluding with the Akalis to keep AAP at bay.
On the river water issue, Kejriwal at a press conference here said if AAP government is formed, it will strongly defend the rights of Punjab. He, however, described the SYl canal issue as a “political issue” and said it needs to be dealt accordingly. Hitting out at the ruling Akalis for “destroying Punjab”, the AAP national convener said, “for the first time, they are facing a outfit which is giving them a tough fight”. He said that AAP wants Badals to bite dust at the electoral hustings so that they can’t enter the Vidhan Sabha even as the opposition MlAs.
“Against the Badals and (Badal family relative and Cabinet Minister Bikram Singh) Majithia, we have pitted our top leadership in the polls. It is not only important to put them behind bars for their misdeeds, but also to ensure their unholy feet don’t touch the Vidhan Sabha (as MlAs),” he said. The Delhi Chief Minister alleged that a deal had been struck between Amarinder and Badal under a “tacit understanding”.
“Jarnail held an impressive roadshow and he is getting overwhelming support. Seeing the response, CM Badal approached Capt Amarinder Singh saying we took back cases against you, now you help us. Capt decided to fight from lambi to divide the anti-Badal vote, which otherwise was going to Jarnail Singh,” Kejriwal claimed.
“To justify his fight, Capt is saying he wants to fight injustice of the Badals, but why has he announced to fight from lambi just 10 days before the polls. In entire Punjab, this poll is predominantly about who is going to defeat the Badals and entire Akali leadership. Now, Capt has joined hands with the Badals and he has betrayed the people and people will never forgive him for this,” he said.
Kejriwal said Bikram Singh Majithia will be send behind the bars for his alleged role in a multi-million rupee drug racket in the state. “Majithia and his entire gang has pushed Punjab into drugs. People are scared of them... When AAP government is formed, we will punish them. I want to say that on March 11 results will be declared and government will be in place by March 22. And on April 15, we will send Majithia behind the bars. People of Punjab will get freedom not just from drug menace, but they will be free from reign of terror and goondaism,” he said.
Kejriwal wondered why Majithia was not being arrested and interrogated in the drug case.
“We will also set up a SIT, which will probe the loot by the ruling Badals and everything will be recovered with interest. They will be send behind the bars and everything including Amarinder’s ‘Swiss bank’ accounts will be brought under the ambit of the SIT,” he said.
To a question suspended AAP MP Dharamvira Gandhi floating his own front, Kejriwal said that at this juncture “when history is in the making and AAP is set to form the government with 100 plus seats in Punjab, I appeal to him not to do any such thing which will help the the Akalis or the Congress”.
On Navjot Singh Sidhu’s joining Congress, Kejriwal said “it will have no impact”.