Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Monday said that Aam Aadmi Party Chief Arvind Kejriwal should not take Punjabis for granted by building castles in the air and should understand that Punjabis are much more capable for leading their own state and need not an outsider like him.

“Proud Punjabis would never let an outsider like Kejriwal to rule them,” he said during his visit to village Rohno Kalan near Khanna. Addressing a gathering, Channi said that his government is implementing the common man’s agenda in the larger interest of the state while people like Kejriwal are promising a moon to people in Punjab, rather than working for the betterment of ‘Aam Aadmi’ of Delhi.

He said Kejriwal is best at rolling out bundles of lies before the people of Punjab. He said it was the same Kejriwal who, before the 2017 Punjab Assembly elections, had given a “guarantee” that he would throw Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia behind bars for his relations with the drug mafia.

“And when AAP failed to form government in Punjab, the same Kejriwal offered unconditional apology to Majithia in the court, that too on AAP letterhead. Families who have lost their sons due to menace of drugs will never forgive Kejriwal,” he said while adding that his government has set the wheels in motion by not only booking Majithia but raids are also underway to arrest him. He said that the “Chacha-Bhateeja” (uncle and nephew) relationship between former CM Captain Amarinder Singh and Bikram Singh Majithia is now an open secret now as the former has been issuing statements in favour of the Akali leader.

Earlier, addressing a gathering at Dharamkot (Moga), the CM said the previous SAD-BJP alliance government in the state would be made accountable for the betrayal committed against Punjab and its people during its decade long misrule. He said that people of the state owe an explanation from Akalis for pushing the youth into drugs, sacrilege cases and bringing the state on the brink of economic disaster.

Channi blamed the SAD leadership for cahoots with Prime Minister Narendra Modi led-BJP government at the Centre for the implementation of three black farm laws. He said Harsimrat Kaur Badal was the part and parcel of the Central Cabinet which was instrumental in getting these draconian laws framed and finally she was forced to quit the Cabinet in wake of widespread angst of people, especially the farmers.