The aam aadmi in Punjab will have a new face. For, the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) rebel faction, demanding complete autonomy for the state unit, on Sunday joined hands with like minded parties to announce the formation of a new party based on the principles of democracy.
AAP’s rebel leaders, comprising suspended MP Dr Dharamvira Gandhi, suspended MLA Sukhpal Khaira, along with Lok Insaaf Party (LIP) MLAs Simarjeet Bains and Balwinder Bains, and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) state president Rashpal Raju, joined hands to form a new political front in the state — Punjab Democratic Alliance (PDA).
Launching with the commencement of nine-day Insaaf March that began at Takht Damdama Sahib at Talwandi Sabo and covered 180 kms and 54 villages, the PDA was launched formally at a rally in Mehmadpur near Patiala.
PDA also announced to contest the ensuing Lok Sabha elections, while welcoming “more like minded parties and individuals who maintain equidistance from the Congress, BJP and SAD, so that Punjab can be saved the agony of corruption, feudalism and draconian family rule”.
“The new political formation of like-minded leaders aims to clean the corrupt polity of Punjab,” said Khaira, MLA from Bholath.
Khaira, who was unceremoniously removed as the Leader of Opposition in Vidhan Sabha by the AAP central leadership in August and later suspended from the party previous month, said that the alliance would aim to liberate Punjab from the clutches of corrupt traditional parties and the corrupt feudal families.
“The actions of these corrupt parties and leaders had ruined a glorious state like Punjab for their lust to amass ill-gotten wealth by looting the people. Punjab is facing a colossal debt of Rs 2.5 lakh crore, farmers and labourers are committing suicide, lakhs of unemployed youth have taken to drugs or are migrating to foreign shores because of hopelessness, frustration and dejection,” he said.
Khaira also vowed to continue seeking justice for sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib and the victims of Behbal Kalan police firing. “The Congress government has hoodwinked the Insaaf Morcha by making false promises on the issue, which will never be implemented,” he said.
He announced that if the government failed to render justice on sacrilege and Behbal killings within a month, the PDA would announce an action plan on the occasion of Maghi in January.
Dr Gandhi, Patiala MP, condemned the BJP-led Central Government for encroaching upon the rights of the states, including Punjab through gross centralisation.
Suspended from AAP in 2015, Dr Gandhi said that the larger aim of the PDA would be to strive for a federal India and a democratic Punjab.
“It is unfair for the Central Government to unilaterally implement schemes for education, healthcare, rural development, MNREGA, without taking into consideration the aspirations of the people of the state,” he said.
Other leaders criticised the BJP-led Central Government and the Congress-led Punjab Government for failing to fulfill promises made before the elections.
Simrajeet Bains, president of the LIP which was an AAP’s alliance partner for 2017 state polls, targeted the Congress Government for its failure to redress the grievances of small and medium scale industry and its workers.
“The so-called relief of Rs five per unit electricity charges has only benefitted a few hundred large industrial houses, while more than 30,000 smaller industries are paying through their nose for heavy electricity tariffs,” he said.
Bains said that the state’s employees are up in arms against the draconian policies of Congress Government which is playing a cruel joke on its own employees by snatching their dues.
“Teachers are being forced to work at labour rates of Rs 15,000 per month at a time when inflation is at its highest peak. The government has failed to implement the report of sixth pay commission, not paying DA to its employees etc,” he said while advocating to restart the old regular pension scheme that was scrapped by Capt Amarinder Singh in 2004.
BSP state president Rashpal Raju said that the weaker sections and Dalits are being exploited through petty welfare schemes of Atta-Dal, meagre pensions etc, while they are being denied their right of quality education, healthcare, affordable housing and employment.
AAP’s suspended MLA Kanwar Sandhu charged the Capt Amarinder Singh led government for perpetrating the Akali-sponsored mafia raj. “Congress mafia now continues to rule the roost be it illegal mining, liquor trade, transport, cable network etc. The political class and bureaucracy have joined hands to blatantly loot the people of Punjab,” he said.
Kharar MLA, Sandhu said the Capt Amarinder Government appears to be an extended version of the Badal government with same corrupt work culture and even same officers like DGP Suresh Arora.