Our Correspondent:
Chandigarh, November 15,2019: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) senior leader and Leader of Opposition, Harpal Singh Cheema, has termed the ‘dharna’ being staged by the ruling Congress Party at the district level as a mere ploy to mislead the people of the state. The Congress Party should, instead introspect and tell the people how many promises, out of those figured in their 192-page election manifesto had been fulfilled during its present more than two and half years tenure.
In a statement issued from party quarters in Chandigarh here on Friday, Harpal Singh Cheema said that the Congress party was engaged in staging ‘sham’ dharnas across the state with a view to defecting the peoples’ attention from the unkempt poll promises it made to the people during the 2017 assembly elections. He added that every section of the society, including the teachers, employees, farmers, laborers, the unemployed, students, Dalits, poor across the state were forced to protest on the streets for their legitimate rights, stating that the state was on the boil.
Cheema said that inflation was skyrocketing; making it difficult for the people to keep their kitchen fires burning and meet other household demands. Cheema had a piece of advice for the Capt government to take a cue from the Arvind Kejriwal-led government in Delhi, which had opened up outlets to providing onion to the people at a cheaper rate, stating that the Captain Government should also replicate the model to provide the people onion at cheaper price. Cheema also sought cheaper electricity for all kinds of consumers in the state as the Kejriwal government had done in the capital city of Delhi. Cheema said that if Captain really wanted to provide relief to the people of the state, he should exempt VAT on petrol and diesel.
The AAP leader said that Capt Amarinder Singh could not run away from his responsibility by resorting to holding ‘dharnas’, what he described as political gimmick, the people had given to him in 2017, saying that he had failed to live up to the aspirations of the people. Cheema said that if Captain Amarinder Singh could not fulfill his responsibility in the state, he should better quit as Chief Minister immediately.