On the first day of his four-day Punjab visit, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was jeered by the activists of rival political parties at railway stations. Undeterred, he wooed the State’s farming community by promising sops like loan and interest waiver, while at the same time, vowing to stay put in Punjab until the ruling Badals are “sent to jail”.
Heckled by activists of BJP, SAD and the Congress at New Delhi and ludhiana railway stations, Kejriwal said that neither he nor his party is going to be “cowed down” by such “pre-planned” protests, or “CDs” and accusations which he alleged are being “manufactured under a conspiracy by political rivals”.
“Today, the farmers of Punjab are in a bad situation, they are committing suicide. There was a time, the farmers of Punjab were considered to be the happiest in the country,” said Kejriwal at a brief press conference at ludhiana.
He said that if AAP comes to power in Punjab, the farmers of the state will be made debt-free and the loan of poor farmers will be waived. “For rest of the farmers, loan interest will be waived and till December 2018, all farmers of Punjab will be rid of debt,” he said.
Kejriwal, who is scheduled to release party's ‘Kisan Manifesto’ for 2017 polls on September 11, said: “We have held several meetings, people have given suggestions and this will be reflected in this blueprint.”
Unsparing in his attack on Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his son and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal, he said: “Now, I want to say that I have come (to Punjab) and I will be pitching my tent here. Till the time we don't make them bite dust and send the Badals to jail, I will camp in Punjab and I am not going to leave this place.”
“In between, however, I will go to Delhi for two-three days, but I will not leave from here till we send the Badals to jail,” he said.
His visit comes at a time when AAP is grappling with a series of controversies including removal of its Punjab chief Sucha Singh Chhotepur after a “sting CD” purportedly showed him taking money from a ticket aspirant and the sacking of Delhi minister Sandeep Kumar over a sex scandal.
SUKHBIR HAS GOT ‘63 Fake CDs’ MADE AGAINST AAP
“Polls in Punjab are round the corner. When I had come to Punjab last time and during my visits earlier also, people of the state had warned me saying that when polls will draw near, Sukhbir Badal will hatch some conspiracy against you (AAP), CDs will come to fore, accusations will be made, people will protest etc. Now that time has started, two-three people get together (on routine basis) and level any accusation,” Kejriwal claimed.
“I have come to know that Sukhbir Badal has got 63 fake CDs made against us, he has hired a video company, which comes out with two-four CDs now and then,” he claimed.
“Now, every day, these two-three CDs will come, accusations will be levelled against us, but I am happy that people of Punjab are wise, they fully understand the conspiracy and the game plan of the Badals,” he said.
Delhi CM FACEs PROTESTS
Kejriwal on Thursday faced protests at railway stations, both at New Delhi and ludhiana, by activists from the BJP, Akali Dal and the Congress, over allegations of misconduct against AAP leaders. As Kejriwal got down from the Delhi-ludhiana-Amritsar Shatabdi express at ludhiana railway station, he was greeted by protesters from the ruling SAD's youth wing and opposition Congress' women's wing.
Youth Akali Dal leader Gurpreet Singh Gosha led by other party activists tried to give bangles to Kejriwal, claiming that his government had failed on all fronts. Congress women wing's ludhiana district president leena Tapria, who also led a group of party activists, raised slogans like "Kejriwal Go Back".
As Kejriwal stepped out of the railway station, he faced another group of protesters, who claimed to be from a Hindu outfit. However, the Punjab police did not allow any protester to come near the Delhi Chief Minister. Police said that they had deputed two Additional Deputy Commissioners of Police rank officers at the railway station besides deputing police personnel in strength to ensure there was no untoward incident.