CHANDIGARH: Expressing support to the leader of the opposition, Pratap Singh Bajwa, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring on Monday criticised the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government for diverting the public’s attention and emphasised that they should focus more on pressing issues affecting the state.
The Punjab government plans to present a privilege motion against Bajwa during a special session of the Vidhan Sabha on June 19 and 20. The AAP alleged that Bajwa had insulted the party’s Dalit MLAs. Dalit MLAs from the AAP, led by finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema, demanded a public apology from Bajwa for the alleged insult.
Warring in a tweet stated that the controversy on Bajwa’s statement vindicated his stand regarding the inexperienced AAP leadership. He emphasised that the party in power must talk about actual issues of Punjab that include poor healthcare, deteriorating law and order situation, drug menace, corruption, illegal mining, alarming financial situation and how the government intended to resolve the pressing issues. “Ironically, the AAP’s only intent remains to corner the opposition to keep itself politically relevant and the public busy in irrelevant things,” he said.
Several Congress leaders, including Manish Tewari, Sukhpal Singh Khaira and Sandeep Jakhar, have come out in support of Bajwa and accused the government of being anti-Dalit by not taking action against minister Lal Chand Kataruchak, who has been accused of sexually exploiting a Dalit boy.
Bajwa has vehemently denied the accusation, asserting that his statement was distorted and that he had never insulted Dalits. “The video of my speech is already in the public domain, which itself is proof that I haven’t uttered a single word against any community. The AAP government in Punjab has gotten intoxicated by power and now it can’t tell the difference between just and unjust,” Bajwa said in his defence.
