lashing out at Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal, Congress leader Capt Amarinder Singh on Monday said that he was talking and behaving like a “frustrated anarchist” who had lost his will and way in politics.
“Kejriwal has already outlived his political utility and is now desperately trying to show his relevance in politics,” he said while campaigning for his wife and Congress candidate from Patiala (Urban) Assembly segment Preneet Kaur.
Capt Amarinder’s attack came a day after Kejriwal during an election campaign alleged that Shiromani Akali Dal led by Badals and the Congress Deputy leader in the lok Sabha were hand-in -glove and simply playing with people’s sentiments.
Punjab’s former Chief Minister said that people had already realised that Kejriwal and his party did not have any agenda except for staging dharnas and abusing people by leveling baseless allegations.
Referring to the allegations the AAP leader leveled against him in Patiala a day before, Capt Amarinder said, “Kejriwal is a compulsive and habitual liar and he has to spend some time in Tihar Jail for his defamatory utterances.”
Kejriwal’s dual character was reflected when he first tried to show his bravado by refusing to submit a bail bond and preferred to go to jail and within few days of staying in Tihar pleaded for bail in the same court, he said.
Continuing his tirade against Kejriwal, Capt Amarinder alleged that AAP had failed to spell out what policy or programme it had other than spreading anarchy by staging unprovoked and uncalled for protest dharnas and holding public to ransom.
“You can fool some people some time but not all people at all times,” he told Kejriwal and advised him to be cautious with what he was speaking lest he faced yet another criminal defamation case.
Kejriwal, who was in Patiala on Sunday to campaign for AAP candidate HS Adaltiwala for the by-polls in Patiala (Urban) Assembly constituency, had said that the Akalis and the Congress were dividing people in the name of different parties.
The by-poll to Patiala seat along with Talwandi Sabo will be held on August 21.
DEVElOPMENT NOT A FAVOUR, DUTY OF GOVERNMENT: BAJWA
Talwandi Sabo: Punjab Congress president Partap Singh Bajwa on Monday ridiculed Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal for seeking votes in lieu of development grants announced by him during the nine days he spent in the constituency along with his aides just before the announcement of elections.
“Have the people elected the Akali Dal to power so that the ruling party leaders can make money through corruption or to serve themIJ The people of Talwandi Sabo should punish Akali Dal for criminal neglect of the constituency as development grants announced by Badal are not any favour to them as this is their right and the responsibility of the Government,” Bajwa said.
“Moreover, it is their money which is to be utilised for development purposes, not to go to the pockets of degenerate and corrupt Akali rulers,” he said while addressing series of election meetings at in favour of party’s candidate for Talwandi Sabo Assembly byelection Harminder Singh Jassi.
Bajwa called upon the people to question Badal and their high profile MP and now the Cabinet Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal for their total apathy towards this constituency which was being represented by Congress MlA earlier, who had turned deserter for his personal interests, seeking re-election on the Akali Dal ticket.
The State Congress chief wanted to know where all the money diverted to Bathinda lok Sabha constituency had been spent as Talwandi Sabo was a picture of utter neglect. “The people must assert themselves so that they are not taken for guaranteed in future. They should make it realise to the rulers that development is their basic right and not a favour showered upon them by the likes of Badal,” he added.
Also attacking Aam Aadmi Party for its role as SAD’s ‘B-team’, he said that each and every vote going to that party would only end up helping Akali Dal candidate and the people must realise it. “It is because of the AAP that Harsimrat Badal managed to scrape through in lok Sabha election despite people’s anger against her,” he said.
ECI RESTRICTS POll FUNCTIONARIES
Chandigarh: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday issued detailed set of instructions putting restrictions on the presence of political functionaries in Patiala and Talwandi Sabo Assembly constituencies after the campaign period is over.
“Civil and police administrations of both Patiala and Bathinda districts have been directed to ensure all functionaries leave their constituency after campaign period is over,” said Punjab Chief Electoral Officer VK Singh.
However, the elected MP of poll-going Assembly constituency should not be asked to leave their constituency during election to legislative assembly, even if he or she is not an elector of the poll going constituency. “Such MP would not be allowed to carry out any campaign in the constituency after campaign period is over, that is 48 hours before the time of close of poll,” he added.
CEO further said that under section 126 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, after the closure of campaign period, no campaign can take place within the constituency.
Presence of political functionaries or party workers or procession functionaries or campaign functionaries etc, who have been brought from outside the constituency and who are not voters of the constituency, should not continue to remain present in the constituency as their continued presence after campaign ends may undermine the atmosphere for the free and fair poll.
“The election and police administrations have also been directed to check community halls etc, where such people are kept housed and find out whether the outsiders have been accommodated in these premises, to verify lodges and guesthouses to keep a track of the list of occupants, to set up check-posts in constituencies’ borders and track vehicular movement from outside the constituency and to verify the identity of the people or group of people in order to find out whether they are voters or not and establish their identity,” he added.