PUNJAB:
In a strong political message, AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann met newly elected Zila Parishad and Block Samiti members and asserted that Punjab has decisively broken away from the era of fear, goondagardi and manipulated elections, while announcing that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government will now launch a full-scale war against gangsters on the lines of the ‘Yudh Nashean Virudh’.
Citing AAP’s sweeping victory of over 70 percent seats in the Panchayat polls as a mandate for clean politics and honest governance, the AAP Chief said Punjab had witnessed the cleanest local body elections in its history, with not even a single vote shifted, while CM Bhagwant Singh Mann underlined that pro-people governance had forced traditional parties to rewrite their manifestos.
*Will appear before Sri Akal Takht Sahib as a humble Sikh, its command supreme above all else: Bhagwant Singh Mann*
On the issue related to Sri Akal Takht Sahib, Bhagwant Singh Mann said that he would certainly appear before the Takht with all facts and requested that the proceedings be telecast live on all channels. “I will appear there not as a Chief Minister, but as a humble and devout Sikh. Sri Akal Takht Sahib is sacred for every Sikh and is the highest temporal seat of our community. Even though the President of the country will be visiting Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, I will still ensure my presence before Sri Akal Takht Sahib,” he said.
He unequivocally asserted that for him, Sri Akal Takht Sahib Ji is above everything. “Any order received from there will be obeyed in true letter and spirit. The command of Sri Akal Takht Sahib was, is and will always remain supreme for me and my family. It is a highly revered place from where Sikhs derive divine peace and strength,” Bhagwant Singh Mann said.
Addressing the gathering of the elected representatives in Ludhiana, AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal said, “First of all, I congratulate all of you who have been elected in such large numbers as members of the District Councils and Block Committees. You must be happy today because the people have entrusted you with a new responsibility. It is a matter of great pride that in these elections, the AAP has won more than 70 percent of the total seats. These are your party’s seats.”
Recalling the past, the AAP Supremo said that traditionally, Panchayat elections were won by the ruling party through force and manipulation. “In 2013, Panchayat elections were held one year after the government was formed. In 2018 as well, elections were held one year after the government came to power in 2017. Despite that, there was rampant booth capturing, goondagardi and coercion, and only then did they win,” he said.
Contrasting that with the present, Arvind Kejriwal stated, “Today, after four years of our government, elections for Block Committees and District Councils were held and not even the slightest coercion was done. Look at the results. There are more than 600 seats where candidates won by less than 100 votes. Out of these, more than 350 seats were won by the opposition. There are many seats where Congress or Akali Dal candidates won by just one vote. Have you ever heard that a ruling party candidate lost by one vote?”
He added that if the AAP wanted to misuse power, it would have been very easy. “If we wanted to indulge in coercion, we could have just called the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) and got our candidate declared elected. Shifting one vote here or there is not difficult. But we did not do that. We did not come into politics for this. The AAP was not formed to do coercion, corruption or goondaism. If that was the goal, then what difference would remain between us and Congress, BJP or Akali Dal? We came to change politics, to clean politics, to fix politics, and to end coercion and goondaism.”
Speaking on the deep-rooted problems Punjab had faced, the AAP Chief said, “They spread drugs all over Punjab. Who sells drugs? Whether it is one party or the other, it is their uncles, brothers, sons-in-law who are selling drugs, indulging in crime, and running gangs. They openly give tickets to gangsters. We did not come to do this. We came to clean this system. We have put our lives at stake, sacrificed everything. They even sent me to jail for raising my voice against them. They thought Arvind Kejriwal would stop speaking. I came out and roared even louder.”
He noted that Punjab witnessed completely clean elections. “Not a single vote was shifted. After four years of governance, despite the enormous challenges of running Punjab, people still voted for us. When we took over, there was no money. Punjab had been drowned in debt. They looted everything. Salaries were not paid on time earlier. In our time, not even one month has passed when salaries were delayed. Everyone gets their salary on time. We are running the government honestly, saving every penny, and delivering results.”
Listing achievements, Arvind Kejriwal said, “Big works are happening. Electricity has become free. Earlier, wherever I went during the last election, people would sit with electricity bills saying they had one small house, one fan, yet received bills of ₹10,000. Today, people are getting zero electricity bills. If this is not a miracle, then what is? Old bills have been waived.”
He said the electoral mandate reflected performance. “After four years in government, if we win over 70 percent seats with 38 percent vote share, that 38 percent is a vote for our work, not for coercion or corruption. It is a vote for honesty and decency. Our party is a party of decent people.”
Calling the newly elected representatives crucial to the future, Arvind Kejriwal said, “Now it is your responsibility to take this 38 percent vote share to 45 percent in the next election. Less than 45 percent is not acceptable. You must go village to village, meet people with folded hands, without arrogance. Arrogance destroyed Akali Dal and Congress. If you become arrogant, the same will happen to us. Go to people’s homes, work for them in their joys and sorrows, not only in official matters but also in personal difficulties. Be their brother, their son.”
The AAP Head emphasised AAP’s commitment to ordinary citizens. “The AAP is the party that gives tickets to ordinary people. It is the party where an ordinary person becomes the Chief Minister. Bhagwant Singh Mann’s father was not a politician. None of his relatives were politicians. Yet he became Chief Minister. In my family too, no one was a politician, yet I became Chief Minister. More than 90 percent of you also come from families with no political background. If you work well, you can become MLAs, ministers, purely on the basis of your work.”
Issuing a clear warning against complacency, the AAP National Convenor asserted, “Do not think that Arvind Kejriwal sitting in Delhi does not know what is happening in Punjab. We know who is working and who is not. You do not need to flatter anyone or come to Delhi or meet Bhagwant Singh Mann. The person whom the people love, whose work they admire, Arvind Kejriwal will go to his house and give him a ticket. You do not need to ask for it.”
Urging service over self-interest, he said, “Serve the people. God has given you this opportunity, and very few get such a chance. These opportunities exist only in the AAP. Other parties give tickets to gangsters or their relatives. We have never given tickets to our children or relatives. Only those who serve the people get tickets.”
Reflecting on the atmosphere before 2017, Arvind Kejriwal said, “During Akali Dal and Congress rule, Punjab lived in fear. False cases were common. People were scared. We ended that atmosphere. The culture of jhoothe parche (false cases) and goondagardi has been finished. Earlier, newspapers were routinely filled with reports of brutality against the Dalit community. Today, we have successfully curbed such incidents. Today, no one is afraid of the government because people know the government is there to serve them.”
On the fight against drugs, AAP National Convenor said that the ongoing war against drugs in Punjab is a result of the AAP government’s political will and courage. “People ask where this anti-drug campaign has come from. Who spread drugs in Punjab? It was their people. Their uncles and relatives were selling drugs. One of their biggest leaders is sitting in jail today. Earlier, neither the police nor the administration had the courage to even touch him. When we said he must be sent to jail, it was only the AAP government that had the resolve to do it because we had decided that Punjab’s youth must be freed from drugs,” he asserted.
He said that the government has taken firm action against drug traffickers. “With courage, we have sent big drug smugglers to jail. More than 28,000 cases have been registered and over 400 drug traffickers are currently behind bars. The government has now launched the second phase of the ‘Yudh Nashean Virudh’. From tomorrow, go to every village and every household and tell people clearly that if they vote for these parties again, drugs will return to Punjab, and this time they will destroy the state completely. Do not vote for these parties even by mistake,” he said.
Arvind Kejriwal said that pulling Punjab out of the drug crisis has been extremely difficult. “With great courage and effort, we are bringing Punjab out of drugs. Go door to door and explain that if these people come back to power, electricity bills of ₹10,000 will return. We have stabilised Punjab’s finances with great difficulty. We have managed the state budget and are providing facilities to the people,” he said.
Referring to public welfare infrastructure, Arvind Kejriwal said, “In Delhi, I built Mohalla Clinics to provide free healthcare. Now the BJP government has come to power there and they are shutting down Mohalla Clinics one by one. You must have read it in newspapers. If they are voted to power, they will shut down all Mohalla Clinics. If they are voted to power, they will shut down schools which we are repairing with so much effort.”
Highlighting employment generation, he said, “Today, jobs are being given in Punjab. Earlier, not a single government job could be obtained without bribery or recommendations. CM Bhagwant Singh Mann has given 60,000 jobs. Show me one person who says he got a job by paying a bribe. Show me one person who says he got a job through recommendation. Today, children of poor farmers and labourers are getting government jobs purely on merit. They are being recruited in the police and administration. For the first time, people are getting jobs honestly.”
He recalled how earlier protests had become routine. “Earlier, when Bhagwant Singh Mann and I used to tour Punjab, we would see teachers and employees sitting on water tanks everywhere. Teachers should be in classrooms. Today, you will not find a single employee sitting on a water tank. We have fulfilled everyone’s demands,” he said.
Speaking about infrastructure development, Arvind Kejriwal said, “Look at the roads being built today. Excellent roads are being constructed in every village. About 19,000 kilometres of village roads are being built. Out of Punjab’s total 64,000 kilometres of roads, 42,000 kilometres are currently under construction. Roads in villages and cities will all be completed within six months. You will see it yourselves.”
He also spoke about the pilgrimage initiative. “We have started pilgrimage tours. From every village, one or two buses are going for pilgrimages. Buses are going to Darbar Sahib, Durgiana Temple and Wagah Border,” he said.
On law and order, the AAP Chief said that after drugs, the government will launch a major campaign against gangsters. “Just like we started a war against drugs, we will start a war against gangsters as well. All gangsters and their networks in Punjab will be eliminated. We will not spare them,” he said.
Calling upon the newly elected representatives to shoulder responsibility, Arvind Kejriwal said, “It felt very good to meet all of you today. As I said earlier, we have only one target. The 38 percent vote share that we have must be taken to 45 percent. This responsibility is now on your shoulders. The people have given you an opportunity. Many of you have entered politics for the first time. God has given you this chance.”
Issuing a stern warning, Arvind Kejriwal said, “If you become arrogant, if you start focusing on making money or indulge in corruption, your political life will be finished forever. But if you dedicate yourself to service, God will take you far. It is possible that after Mann Sahib, the next Chief Minister of Punjab is sitting in this very hall today.”
Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, said that the vision and dynamism of AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal has compelled traditional political parties to rewrite their manifestos and rethink their priorities.“The politics of this country has changed because of Arvind Kejriwal. Education, health and electricity have come to the centre of political discourse only because of AAP. Before this, no political party ever bothered about these sectors, even though they matter the most to the common man,” he said.
Congratulating the newly elected representatives, Bhagwant Singh Mann said that they had won these elections by building a direct rapport with the people, adding that local body elections are far more challenging than Assembly or Parliamentary polls. “You have emerged victorious by working among the people. This victory should be used to scale new heights in politics. I am confident that many of you will contest Assembly elections in the future,” he said, while noting that this stood in sharp contrast to other parties where dynasty politics prevails and tickets are distributed hereditarily.
Taking a dig at the Akali Dal, Bhagwant Singh Mann remarked that the party was struggling to find speakers for the upcoming Maghi conference at Sri Muktsar Sahib. “They do not have leaders left to address people,” he said, adding that the recent elections were conducted in a free, fair and transparent manner. “That is why the victory margins at many seats were very low. People are joining AAP in large numbers because of its pro-people policies, while several parties could not even find candidates as the public is fed up with their divisive politics,” he added.
He said that raising one’s voice for the people and winning amid intense competition was truly commendable. “Congress and Akalis have no agenda. They are merely waiting for their turn to return to power. But their dreams will never be fulfilled because people are fully aware of their dubious role against Punjab and its people,” he said.
Addressing the gathering, senior AAP leader and Punjab Prabhari Manish Sisodia said that the newly elected members had been chosen by the people and entrusted with a huge responsibility. “The mandate reflects people’s faith in the pro-people and development-oriented policies of the Punjab Government,” he said.
Manish Sisodia noted that the Zila Parishad and Block Samiti members had participated enthusiastically in the second phase of the Yudh Nasheyan Virudh campaign, making it a major success. “The soul of Punjab lives in its villages, and I am confident that you will make every possible effort to ensure their development and prosperity,” he said.
Assuring full government support, Manish Sisodia said that there would be no shortage of funds for rural development. “The Punjab Government will stand firmly with you. I urge you to work in coordination with panchayats to ensure that health cards of all families are prepared without any delay,” he added.
