The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) said here on Friday that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener Arvind Kejriwal was deliberately creating a Constitutional crisis in Punjab by directing Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to adopt a confrontationist attitude towards the state governor.

The party said it is a ploy of the Delhi chief minister to play the victim card in case Presidential rule is proclaimed in the state on the eve of the parliamentary elections.

The allegation of the party came in the wake of Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit warning the state chief minister of Article 356 (failure of the Constitutional mechanism) he could recommend against the state government if he (the CM) failed to furnish the information sought by him through “letters”.

SAD leader Dr Daljit Singh Cheema said, “After AAP’s failure to project itself as a victim on the issue of the Delhi Services Act, Kejriwal is now misleading the Punjab chief minister with an ulterior motive of taking political advantage nationally in case the government is dismissed. By doing so, he said, the AAP was betraying the mandate of Punjabis who will never trust the party again in case it runs away from its responsibilities in such a manner”.

The SAD leader claimed a total collapse of governance in the state. “The governor has pointed out the government’s failure to submit an action taken report on sale of drugs from 66 liquor vends in Ludhiana as detected by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB). Besides, the governor has also referred to several reports from various agencies regarding the rampant availability and abuse of drugs in Punjab. The chief minister’s silence on this issue indicates the AAP government is hand in glove with drug traffickers and is providing a protective shield to them,” he added.

Stating that the CM could not block questions on the issue of rampant increase in drug trafficking including synthetic drugs which were claiming lives on an everyday basis, Dr Cheema said, “Punjabis are also clamouring for action against the drug traffickers but recent reports indicate the drug mafia is being patronized by AAP ministers and legislators. Taking action against the drug mafia is in public interest and the chief minister should submit an action taken report in this regard to the Governor as well as Punjabis at large”.

Dr Cheema said the AAP Government had failed on all fronts. “We are witnessing a humanitarian crisis with farmers in doldrums because the AAP government is refusing to release fair compensation for loss of crops and property. Similarly civil society is also in a state of turmoil due to break down in the law and order with narco-terrorism coupled with gangster raj resulting in the flight of capital besides leading to a feeling of insecurity amongst Punjabis,” he said.