Nearly three months after the Aam Aadmi Party faced resounding defeat in Punjab state assembly polls, its supremo and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday spend his day in the holy city of Amritsar meeting party workers and volunteers besides visiting the Golden Temple on the martyrdom day of Sikhs’ fifth master Guru Arjan Dev.
After landing at the Amritsar airport in the morning, Kejriwal headed for the Golden Temple to pay obeisance accompanied by AAP Punjab unit president Bhagwant Mann, leader of Opposition in Vidhan Sabha HS Phoolka and Talwandi Sabo MlA Baljinder Kaur among others.
later, Kejriwal held interactive session with the party workers at a resort near Amritsar. During the session, AAP’s poor performance in the assembly elections and the way forward for the party in the state were discussed.
Interacting with the volunteers, Kejriwal said that AAP has been formed with an aim to cleanse the corrupt administrative and political system, “and we will continue our fight selflessly with a sole aim of public welfare”.
Reacting on Punjab assembly election results, Kejriwal said that though the results were not up to the expectations, “but still people of Punjab have chosen AAP to represent them as major opposition party and AAP will ensure complete justice with this role”.
Adding that being in opposition was a “God-given” responsibility, he said: “Whatever the reasons behind the result — be it EVMs, money power used by other parties or our own faults — God wants us to be in opposition right now. We will carry out this responsibility properly.”
Talking about AAP State unit’s roadmap for the future, the Delhi Chief Minister said that we have to revamp the party structure from top to bottom.
“The restructuring of the party organization in Punjab is in the process which will be completed very soon….In the new structure, booth in-charges will be in most powerful position as they are people who interact with the people on daily basis and eventually play a major role in garnering votes for party candidates,” he said.
Kejriwal, speaking in favour of the party volunteers, said that they are the “party’s backbone” and their works should be done on priority by the party MlAs. At the same time, he appealed that the volunteers should refer genuine cases that actually need support.
Secondly, you must bring back everyone who is upset with the party for any reason. Go to their homes and win them back. We have to increase the AAP family, not make it smaller.”
Taking a jibe at Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, Kejriwal said that the Congress had promised jobs and free smart phones for the youths in its manifesto but the promises still remain undelivered.
“We must raise the issues of the people. They need to know that we are willing to sacrifice for them. Hold Amarinder government to its promises. Capt Amarinder made so many promises. Have any of them been fulfilledIJ” he asked.
“While the Congress government promised 100 percent debt waiver for farmers, now it has taken a U-turn from this statement also. In such circumstances, when Congress government is unable to stand by its promises, it is imperative that Capt Amarinder seek a public apology or face state-wide stir by Aam Aadmi Party,” he said.
He declared that if the Congress government continues to lie, we will launch such a big movement that we will rock Amarinder’s seat of power. “They are so impatient that it hasn’t even been two months since they took oath and cases of corruption have already started coming out,” he added.
AAP’s Punjab unit president Bhagwant Mann, maintaining that the people of Punjab have chosen 20 MlAs of AAP to represent them in the Vidhan Sabha which is a matter of appreciation, declared that AAP will certainly perform its duty of watchdog as main opposition party with utmost sincerity.
Mann said that the party is going through a phase of transformation and a refined structure of the party will soon be introduced in the State.
“I will not hesitate to approach the disgruntled volunteers of the party and anybody is free to approach me anytime for the party’s welfare,” he added.
leader of Opposition HS Phoolka said that the team of MlAs are performing their duties with honesty and will not let the Congress government to divert its stand from the promises made during the elections.
“AAP leadership has the will to work at grassroot which is clear from the fact that the 88 percent students of government schools in Delhi have passed 10+2 results as compared to 79 percent of private schools,” he added.
SEEKS APOlOGY FOR COMING SO lATE TO PUNJAB
On his maiden visit after the February 4 Punjab polls, Kejriwal sought apology from the party workers and volunteers for “coming so late”.
“First of all, I would like to apologize for coming so late to Punjab after the Assembly election results. I got very busy in Delhi and now I have come to meet you. Whatever the result of the election was, it was against the party’s expectations and those of the people as well,” he said.
MIKE HITS KEJRIWAl'S FACE
Heated arguments were exchanged between electronic media and Kejriwal’s security men after a mike of media person hit his face as soon as he came out of the Golden Temple.