With “deliberate” no-response to repeated letters, Punjab Transport Minister Amarinder Singh Raja Warring on Friday staged a dharna outside Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's official residence daring him to come clean on his understanding with the Badals for allowing Orbit buses to ply all across Delhi while denying the same permission to PRTC.
Lashing out at Kejriwal by terming him a “compulsive liar”, Warring said that by stopping State Transport Undertaking (STU) Volvo buses from going up-to Indira Gandhi International Airport by confining those to ISBT while allowing private players permission for the same, Kejriwal lies fully exposed over his double speak on ending transport mafia in Punjab.
“You are part of transport mafia looting Punjab,” said Warring, while sitting on a chair outside Delhi Chief Minister’s residence, where he reached early morning to have an audience with the latter over this critical issue.
“Kejriwal ran away early on knowing that I was here and his staff kept lying about his presence,” said Warring adding that he was sure that Delhi Chief Minister would meet him before leaving for Punjab where he will offer several new “guarantees” to end transport mafia.
Warring had, immediately after assuming the charge, written to Kejriwal on October 7, 2021, urging him to allow suitable date and time for a meeting to sort out this long pending issue. This letter was in continuation of three earlier letters addressed on the issue by previous Transport Minister Razia Sultana to Delhi Chief Minister on November 29, 2019; March 16, 2020; and February 24, 2021, a spokesperson of the department said.
Prior to this correspondence, Principal Secretary Transport K Siva Prasad had taken up the issue in writing four times with his counterpart between December 6, 2018, and August 21, 2019, the spokesperson added.
Punjab Transport Minister had also taken up the issue with Union Minister of Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindhia in writing to issue necessary directions to Delhi Airport Parking Services to allow Punjab State Undertaking Buses to drop passengers at IGI Airport.