AAP national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday claimed that Union Home Minister Amit Shah has threatened that Punjab government would be removed after June 4 (when the Lok Sabha results are declared), and alleged that the BJP government wants to stop free electricity given in the AAP ruled states.
“Two days ago, Home Minister Amit Shah arrived in Ludhiana. He threatened that after 4th June, the Punjab government would be removed and Bhagwant Mann would be removed from the post of Chief Minister… How will he do this? We have 92 seats (in the assembly) out of 117. How can you topple the government chosen by 3 crore people? There is a dictatorship in the country…,” Kejriwal said, while addressing a Town Hall meeting in Ludhiana, a significant industrial hub in Punjab where 13 Lok Sabha constituencies are at stake.
Kejriwal asked: “What plan do you (Shah) have to topple the government? Will you scare the people of Punjab with ED and CBI? The way You have broken NCP, Shiv Sena, Will you break the Punjabis also?”
The Delhi CM said that Punjabis are large hearted people. ”If you have asked with love, we would have given you (‘ek-aadh’) seat, but if you (Amit Shah) threaten us, you will get into difficulty, Amit Shah ji,” he said.
He said that earlier he came to know about people’s problems, but this time, he has come to ask for votes.
”Today, I have come to ask for your votes …These are elections for the Centre; we are weak at the Centre…We have only one MP. If we have power at the Centre, our hands will get stronger…There are 100 problems which can’t be solved at the state level. We need to be strong at the Centre. You give all 13 seats from Punjab so that we can get your rights from the Centre,” he said.
He said that all 13 Lok Sabha seats should be won by the AAP this time. ”Give 13 Lok Sabha seats to the AAP so that we can bring your rights from the Centre…,” he added.
Kejriwal alleged that there was a dictatorship going on in the country, pointing that that Rs 9,000 crore of Punjab’s rights have been withheld by the BJP-led Centre.
He further alleged that the BJP wants to stop free electricity and alleged that the BJP is bothered that the AAP was providing free electricity in Delhi and Punjab — the AAP ruled states.
Kejriwal said the AAP governments made electricity free in Delhi and Punjab. “Power tariff is highest in BJP ruled states like Gujarat, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. Still BJP calls me corrupt. You tell me whether the one who gives free electricity is corrupt or the one who gives electricity at the costliest rate is corrupt?” he asked.
Kejriwal said a vote to the BJP would mean that zero power bills in Punjab would stop.
Yesterday, Kejriwal led two roadshows — one each in Jalandhar and Ludhiana, where he campaigned for party candidate Pawan Kumar Tinu.
The Ludhiana Lok Sabha constituency comprises nine assembly segments – Ludhiana East, Ludhiana South, Atam Nagar, Ludhiana Central, Ludhiana West, Ludhiana North, Gill (Reserved), Dhaka, and Jagraon (Reserved).
In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Ravneet Singh Bittu of the Congress won the seat, defeating Harvinder Singh Phoolka of the Aam Aadmi Party amid a national BJP wave. The BJP-Akali alliance candidate was placed third.
In the 2019 General Elections, Ravneet Singh Bittu retained his seat, defeating Simarjeet Singh Bains of the Lok Insaaf Party (LIP).