A day after Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party’s national convener Arvind Kejriwal accepted Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu’s “debate challenge” while nominating his party’s Punjab unit president Bhagwant Mann for the name, the former cricketer on Monday called Kejriwal a “masquerader”.
Sidhu, in a sharp tweet, accused Kejriwal of colluding with the Badals of Akali Dal, running liquor mafia in Delhi, while also targeting him over the controversial farm laws recently scrapped by the Centre.
“Bhagwant (Mann) is not the CM who is running the Liquor Mafia with Badals Blacklisted MLA Deep Malhotra...He was not the one who notified Black Farm Law in Delhi!! Who is allowing Badals buses on the lucrative routes to Delhi Airport? Come debate with me masquerader!!” tweeted Sidhu.
Sidhu and Kejriwal have been criticizing each other relentlessly, in the past few weeks, especially with Delhi Chief Minister intensifying his poll campaign in Punjab ahead of ensuing elections.
Kejriwal and other senior leaders from Delhi have been visiting Punjab frequently to ramp up the party's campaign, and taking on the ruling Congress over the issues of education, health, sand mining, among others.
In his every visit, Kejriwal has been making the pre-poll announcements for the people of the State. Also attacking the Congress Government, especially the Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and Sidhu, Kejriwal had described the Congress Government in Punjab as the “most corrupt and hypocritical” in the history of the state.
In fact, AAP has emerged as a strong challenger in the upcoming polls for the ruling Congress, which has been battling infighting in Punjab for more than a year now.
On Saturday, Sidhu called Arvind Kejriwal a political tourist and a “liar” who has surfaced with “fake promises” just ahead of assembly elections in the state. At a public meeting, Sidhu even dared Kejriwal to face him in a debate on employment, claiming that he had promised eight lakh jobs in Delhi but gave only 440.
“Come and sit (with me), wherever in Punjab. Even call me in Delhi. Will sit at your home, bring TV channels also. If Sidhu gets defeated, then (I) will leave politics,” Sidhu had said.
Congress leader had also accused Kejriwal of privatizing liquor in Delhi while slammed his promise of providing Rs 1,000 a month to women, questioning whether he was doing so for women in Delhi, where he heads the AAP government.
SIDHU RUNS AWAY FROM CONSTRUCTIVE DEBATE ON PUNJAB ISSUES: MANN
Accusing Punjab Congress president Sidhu of running away from a constructive debate on state’s various issues, AAP’s Punjab unit president Bhagwant Mann on Monday said that like Education Minister Pargat Singh, and Health Minister OP Soni, now Sidhu is also backing out of a debate on the state’s future.
Mann also asked Sidhu about illegal mining in the State, especially in Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi's constituency Chamkaur Sahib.
Addressing Sidhu, Mann tweeted, “Why is Sidhu running away from debate with me? Sidhu Bhaji, why are you scared of me? Why is Sidhu not speaking on illegal sand mining in CM Channi's constituency? What are the compulsions due to which he has not said a word on illegal mining in Chamkaur Sahib? Selective outrage?”
Mann said that it would have been better if Sidhu had agreed “to debate with me on all important and future issues, because in a democracy there is a need for open public debate between the people and political leaders on every issue related to the State. People can form their opinion by understanding the whole thing and all aspects”.
AAP LEADERSHIP’s EVERY WORD A BUNDLE OF LIES: CM
Accusing the AAP leadership of spreading lies directly from the ground level, Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Monday visited the school in his maternal village, Makdona Kalan, to show that it was not only perfect but one of the best schools in the State.
The Chief Minister, during a walk from Morinda to Sri Chamkaur Sahib, inspected the school from where “rumourmonger AAP leadership has been indulging in slanderous campaign”. Channi said that he had already sanctioned Rs 50 lakh for this school besides astroturf worth Rs 70 lakh.
Taking on AAP leadership, he reminded them that as compared to any school of their frivolous ‘Delhi Model’, this school has one of the best infrastructure, computer lab, library, eduset online facility and modern projector room.
The Chief Minister warned the AAP leaders to desist from spreading false stories about the education and health system of the state, which were one of the best in country.
Channi asked AAP leaders that instead of fault finding in Punjab and Punjabis, they should focus on providing basic facilities to the people of Delhi where people are suffering due to their poor performance.