With senior Punjab Congress leader Sunil Jakhar claiming a majority of legislators had backed him as Chief Minister after Captain Amarinder Singh was ousted from the post, Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) on Thursday said Congress did not appoint Jakhar as CM just because he is Hindu.

Addressing a Press conference, AAP’s Punjab affairs co-in-charge Raghav Chadha said Congress has always been doing politics on the basis of caste religion.

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“Congress is also conspiring to divide the people on the basis of caste and religion by giving religious color to the politics of Punjab. The biggest example of this is senior Congress leader Sunil Jakhar. Even after the support of 42 MLAs (out of 79), Jakhar was not appointed as CM just because he is Hindu,” he said.

Citing Jakhar’s statement that 42 Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) had voted for him, 16 for Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, 12 for Preneet Kaur, six for Navjot Singh Sidhu, and two for Channi as the CM face, the AAP leader said it is very shameful that Congress ignored Jakhar from the CM race just because he is Hindu and appointed Charanjit Singh Channi as their CM who had the support of only two MLAs. He said it was done with the intention of dividing the people of Punjab on the basis of caste and religion.

Chadha said that the Congress party is trying to divide the people in Punjab by sowing the seeds of hatred.

Claiming that Congress is only using Jakhar’s name for Hindu votes, Chadha asked Congress to explain the reason for not considering Jakhar in the race for the chief minister’s post. “Why his (Jakhar’s) photo not on the Congress’s hoardings along with Navjot Singh Sidhu and Charanjit Singh Channi? Congress is giving only two options to the people to choose their Chief Ministerial face, one Navjot Singh Sidhu and the other Charanjit Singh Channi. Why was Sunil Jakhar not an option?,” he asked.

“When 42 MLAs voted for Sunil Jakhar, why did Congress not appoint him as Chief Minister? Jakhar is not facing any allegations of sand mafia, corruption, or drug mafia, why is he not in the race of Congress’s CM face?,” he added.
Chadha said Congress should not discriminate against people on the basis of caste and religion.

AAP condemns Congress’s behaviour towards Jakhar and hopes Congress will act as a responsible political party in these elections, he added.