Poll campaign for Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is all set to get big boost in the days to come, as the party claimed that over 35,000 Punjabi Non Resident Indians (NRIs) would visit Punjab to campaign in all over the State in favour of AAP.
“We have launched ‘Chalo Punjab’ movement on the pattern of Gadar movement with an aim to attain independence of Punjab from tyranny, drugs and corruption”, revealed Joban Randhawa, AAP Overseas Youth Convener.
Randhawa said through this movement all Punjabis in the world were appealed to visit Punjab in support of AAP in Punjabi elections and response was so overwhelming that so far more than 35,000 NRIs have already registered themselves to contribute in the ‘freedom struggle” of Punjab.
“Over 2,000 NRIs are already in the battlefield of ballot in Punjab to support AAP and two planes loaded with NRIs to reach India soon”, said Randhwa, adding that one of the planes from Toronto will reach New Delhi on January 19 and another from UK at Amritsar on January 24.
He said NRIs would organise a massive rally at Majitha, constituency of Bikram Singh Majithia on January 24, in which more than 5,000 NRIs are expected to participate. “A special tour of NRIs campaign will be organised in all over Punjab from January 20 to February 1”, he added.
Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra joins Congress
Patiala: In a setback to the Shiromani Akali Dal, one of its key youth leaders, Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra, joined the Congress here in the presence of Patiala MlA Preneet Kaur on Saturday.
Welcoming Pathanmajra into the party fold, Preneet expressed the confidence that the joining of the young
Turk, with his strong base in Patiala district especially Sanour Assembly segment, Congress would get a further boost in its election campaign in Patiala.
Preneet said this was a sign that not only the people of Punjab but also genuine Akali leaders and workers were feeling suffocated under the Badal misrule. “The way senior Akali leaders are deserting Akali Dal to join Congress is itself a vindication that only the Congress under leadership of Captain Amarinder can bring Punjab back on the path of progress,” she added.
Pathanmajra, who was member of the Youth Akali Dal Core Committee before quitting the party in September last year, said that Badals had been looting Punjab with both hands.
AAP condemns beating up of Sikh youth by SAD men for asking question on sacrilege incidents
Chandigarh: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday condemned the merciless beating of a Sikh youth of village lodhimajra in Ropar district by the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) workers when the former allegedly asked a question to Education Minister Daljit Singh Cheema about sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib.
In a statement, AAP state convener Gurpreet Singh Waraich said that Cheema got provoked when the youth Harmeet Singh asked him why SAD-BJP Government couldn’t arrest culprits of sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib. It was unfortunate that Cheema who is contesting election from Ropar seat had instigated the Akali workers to thrash the youth. Harmeet Singh has also made a complaint to the district returning officer of Ropar.
Waraich said that over 100 incidents of sacrilege in various parts of Punjab had hurt the sentiments of all those who believe in the Guru Granth Sahib. He said that it astonishing that a SAD which claims to be Panthic party and rules in Punjab had failed to arrest even a single culprit.
He said that sacrilege incidents were a deep rooted conspiracy hatched by SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal to create communal disturbance in the State.
Revolt in Congress on Rupnagar seat in Punjab
Rupnagar: Punjab Congress on Saturday faced revolt by local leaders who opposed the ticket given to Barinder Dhillon while calling him an outsider.
After a meeting with Congress legislature Party leader Charanjit Singh Channi here, all officer bearers of the party headed by District Congress Committee (DCC) president Vijay Kumar Tinku handed over their resignations to Channi.
The DCC office bearers have given party an ultimatum till January 16 to change the candidate or face consequences. Tinku said all 15 members of DCC who were keen to get party ticket had taken oath in the presence of Channi that they would support anyone among the 15 fielded by party but would not allow an outsider.
Ashok Wahi, former President- Ropar MC said that if ticket of Dhillon was not cancelled, he will contest as an independent. Dhillon is considered close to Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh and is a former Panjab University leader.