Countering Aam Aadmi Party’s 51-point youth manifesto “promise by promise”, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Capt Amarinder Singh on Monday claimed that it was straightway copied from what Congress has already promised to the people of Punjab.
The former chief minister also challenged the AAP to prove that its manifesto is not a “carbon copy” of the Congress’ announcements made during the recent past.
“The main features of AAP manifesto have already been highlighted by the Congress…The issue of drugs, corruption, unemployment and registration of false cases are the permanent feature of our campaign,” pointed out Capt Amarinder while asking AAP what new it had to offer.
Referring to AAP’s claims that it went around the state for six months and came out with the manifesto, Capt Amarinder said that it was characteristic of a party that has no history, no culture, no knowledge and no affinity with the state and has to sweat it out even to find out the basic issues.
“You really do not need to go around for six months and know about drugs, corruption, unemployment, farmers’ suicides and false cases,” he pointed out, while adding that “even a small child can tell you that”.
Countering “manifesto announcements”, Capt Amarinder pointed out that while AAP has announced to provide 25 lakh jobs, he has already announced to provide at least “one job per family” so that each family has a “reasonable and respectable monthly income” to sustain itself.
Referring to AAP’s announcement of “drug-free Punjab”, Capt Amarinder said: “While they say they will finish it within six months, I have promised to do it within four weeks and I will do it even before that.”
On the corruption-free administration, the former Chief Minister said: “I have already announced that there will be ‘zero tolerance’ to corruption. Besides, I have already announced that all the false FIRs will be cancelled on day one and that will be the first decision of our government.”
About AAP’s announcement that it would scrap “application fee” for recruitment in the government jobs, he pointed out that he has been repeatedly announcing it time and again in all his meetings and interactions with the youth.
About providing free wi-fi and hotspot zones in colleges, PPCC president taunted AAP, “I am sure it will meet the same fate like that of Delhi where AAP and promised free wi-fi before elections…However, we have announced to provide it in colleges and universities and we will do it.”
On setting up Foreign Employment Youth Board and Punjab Overseas Employment Corporation, Capt Amarinder said: “It is a poor copy of our Immigration Promotion Board that we have already announced.”
Similarly, he said that AAP has announced to break the “monopoly” of the rulers over business saying that it would offer government contracts to the youth.
“let me ask them, how is it different from our announcement of finishing the monopoly of the Badals,” he asked, while pointing out that he had already announced that while sand mining will be liberalized, the transport and cable business will have youth participation.
Releasing its poll manifesto for the state’s youth on Sunday, AAP has become the first political party in the state to launch its poll document for 2017 elections.