Former Union minister and a Member of Parliament (MP) Patiala Preneet Kaur, on Wednesday, led a protest against the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government for failure to fulfill its commitment to provide Rs 1,000 per month to all adult women in Punjab.
“The Aam Aadmi Party led by Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann gave a guarantee to the people of Punjab before the Assembly elections that once elected, they will give Rs 1,000 per month to every woman above 18 in the state. But now, it’s been six months and there is no sign of the government fulfilling one of its major poll promises,” Kaur said while addressing a gathering in Patiala.
Claiming a growing resentment among the women who feel cheated by the government, she said, “It is our due right which was promised to us by the government, and if the Punjab government fails to fulfill this guarantee by October, we will hold massive protests all over the Punjab.”
Praising the previous Captain Amarinder Singh regime for its welfare schemes for women, the Patiala MP said, “During his tenure, Captain Amarinder Singh implemented many pro-women policies like free bus travel, 50% reservation in Local bodies and Panchayati Raj elections, enhanced fund for Shagun schemes and many more.”
Replying to a media query on Sidhu Moosewala’s justice march scheduled for this evening in Mansa, the former Union minister said, “Loss of such young life is completely tragic and saddening, Sidhu Moosewala was murdered in broad daylight and it is understandable that his parents are demanding justice and I completely support them in their quest.”
While handing over a memorandum to the Patiala deputy commissioner Sakshi Sawhney, Kaur said, “I stand before you representing the ladies of Punjab as we demand the state government to immediately fulfill its commitment to the common folk. I also want to point out to the government through you that the vendetta politics that they are playing against us, will not be tolerated at all. Picking and targeting our MCs just because we are in opposition is completely unfair and unjust and it should be stopped immediately.”
A Congress MP, Kaur is the wife of former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh who quit the Congress to form his own party Punjab Lokhit Congress and contest previous Assembly polls in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party.