Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday criticized Capt Amarinder Singh-led Congress Government in Punjab for curbing the right of poor and dalits by denying them basic facilities.
“The condition of poor people of the state is going from bad to worse due to the government’s apathy,” said the Leader of Opposition in Vidhan Sabha Harpal Singh Cheema.
He said that the Government, just like previous Akali-BJP regime, is running away from providing post-matric scholarship to the dalit and poor students. “The scholarships for year 2015-16 and 2016-17 have not released yet that is effecting the lives of thousands students,” he said adding that dreams of these students, to get higher education, are shattered due to the action of government.
Cheema said that every section of the society is suffering due to anti-people policies of Capt Amarinder Government leading to dharna and demonstrations everyday in the state.
He said that Capt Amarinder came into power by making hollow promises, but had not fulfilled a single after grabbing power while the poor and dalit are deprived of basic facilities like ration and pensions.
Criticizing Akali leader and the Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal for doing nothing for the state, Cheema said that Akalis are equally responsible for the sorry state of affairs in Punjab.
“The Central Government is stalling the scholarship money and the State Government diverting is it for other uses led to the harassment of poor and dalits,” he said.
Cheema said that if the dalit and poor students are not paid scholarships, AAP will gherao the government inside and outside the Vidhan Sabha. AAP will continue to raise the voice of people of Punjab, he said.