Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Partap Singh Bajwa was among Congress leaders who were detained and later released during a demonstration in support of the former party president in Chandigarh on Thursday. Rahul Gandhi, he says Indian Express Punjab, why does he think Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann about the condition of his party? Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is a “proxy CM”, and there is a Sangrur Lok Sabha by-election on June 23.
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A former Congress minister was arrested in a corruption case and another booked. Many other senior Congress leaders have also joined it. BJP, What is happening in Punjab Congress?
Bajwa: Those who left Congress and joined BJP, they have gone to saffron party’s court for protection. He saw how (BJP leader) Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga was given security by the (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi-led government. Bagga was rescued from the Punjab Police team and taken back to Delhi from Karnal, where the Haryana Police took the Punjab Police team hostage. Party leaders joining BJP want such security. As far as the arrest of Sadhu Singh Dharamsot and the registration of a case against Sangat Singh Giljian in a corruption case is concerned, the AAP government is trying to demoralize the Congress workers with such steps. By arresting senior Congress leaders and registering cases against them, AAP is trying to create an atmosphere of fear among the grassroots workers and workers of Congress.
The AAP government says that there is zero tolerance for corruption. CM Bhagwant Mann registered a case against his own cabinet colleague Vijay Singla in a corruption case and arrested him. How do you see it?
Bajwa: Bhagwant Mann is a pseudo Chief Minister. He is following the Delhi model, where the Food and Civil Supplies Minister was sacked in 2015, later promoted to another post. This is his signature style. There is no authentic proof. In Singla’s case also, he (Singla) has claimed that he has not received any money. They can get approved after six months or so and get a leading position in you.
Do you think that the Sangrur by-election is going to be a referendum on the AAP government’s three-month rule?
Bajwa: I will not call this election a plebiscite on the AAP government. But surely, it will be worth seeing where the party (AAP), which won Sangrur last time by 4.7 lakh votes, stands now. Your popularity has dropped drastically. This election is very important as AAP enjoys support from pockets of Malwa districts, especially Sangrur, Bathinda and Mansa.
So who according to you is the main rival of Congress candidate (Dalveer Goldie) in Sangrur?
Bajwa: It is basically a contest between Congress and AAP. The hardliners can vote for Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) candidate Simranjit Singh Mann, but all voters who are in favor of nationalism and secularism will choose Congress over AAP.
What about BJP?
Bajwa: The security of the BJP candidate will be forfeited.
singer’s family Sidhu Musewala He says that his name should not be used for political gains in the Sangrur by-election. your opinion?
Bajwa: SAD (Amritsar) candidate Simranjit Singh Mann is using his (Musewala’s) photographs in the election campaign. As far as Congress is concerned, his (Musewala’s) father has already clarified that PPCC (Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee) chief Amarinder Singh Raja Waring never pressurized him (Musewala) to contest elections and It was the singer’s own decision. But, since he was a Congressman, we cannot deny him. His mother was the sarpanch of Congress. But, Congress will never try to do vote bank politics by using his name.