Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will be kick-starting its election campaign by holding a rally to be addressed by Delhi Chief Minister and party chief Arvind Kejriwal in Lucknow on January 2.
Speaking to media persons on Thursday, Rajya Sabha member and AAP’s UP in-charge Sanjay Singh said that Kejriwal would make a big announcement for 34 lakh registered unemployed during the mega.
“Kejriwal has given guarantee of 300 units of free electricity, waiver of old power bills and round the clock free supply of electricity to farmers in Delhi. He will now guarantee Rs 5,000 as unemployment allowance and give 10 lakh job to youths every year if AAP forms the next government in Uttar Pradesh,” the AAP leader said.
Singh further said that Kejriwal would give a strong message to the youths in Uttar Pradesh, who constitute a large chunk of voters.
“The Maha Rally will be historic and we expect a huge gathering of youths on January 2 in Lucknow to listen to Kejriwal. Prior to the entry of Aam Aadmi Party in Uttar Pradesh, the political parties did not discuss issue-based politics. Since the AAP forayed into the state, the political spectrum, political parties and voters have started talking on issue-based politics. The January 2 rally will start a debate on the employment issue,” Singh said.
“AAP’s guarantee of allowance till the beneficiary is unemployed will entail an expense of Rs 1,700 crore per month and Rs 20,400 crore annually. To spend Rs 20,400 crore out of the Rs 550 lakh crore budget of UP is not an impossible task but there has to be a political will. The AAP will make this dream come true. We have spoken on unemployment allowance for the first time in UP’s political history. We believe in completing promises that we make. We will also ensure 10 lakh jobs each year if AAP is voted to power,” he said.
The AAP leader further said, “The AAP government will be a government of the people of Uttar pradesh. There will be no need of being cane-charged on demanding jobs from the ruling party. Take a job and take the allowance until you get the job. AAP will be launching ‘Rojgar Guarantee Sabha’ (employment guarantee meeting) across the state and in all 403 Assembly constituencies after Kejriwal formally makes an announcement in the Maha Rally on January 2.”
Singh charged that the Bharatiya Janata Party government was getting cases registered against him in a whimsical way. “They had no facts or proof yet the government is getting cases registered against me. I want to say to the chief minister that if he wants to register cases against me then I have no objection but there should be some iota of truth in the charges levelled. I want to ask how many cases will the chief minister get registered against me. I never insulted the national flag but a case was registered against me in Loni (Ghaziabad). The government has got 18 cases registered against me till date. They intimidated my wife by sending police to my home and slapped treason charges on me,” the Rajya Sabha member alleged.
On the pathetic state of school going children in the winter in the state, Singh said that the children were yet to get school dresses, sweaters, shoes and school bags as yet.
“The BJP government announced to pay Rs 1,100 to the parents but that amount is yet to reach them. If you do not provide school dresses, sweaters, shoes and school bags soon, the AAP will stage dharnas across the state,” he said.
The AAP leader also criticised Union Minister for State for Home Ajay Mishra Teni’s misbehaviour with journalists and manhandling of one of them when quizzed about the role of his son in mowing down four farmers and a journalist in Tikunia area of Lakhimpur Kheri on October 3, and demanded his removal from the Union ministry.