Chandigarh: Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday branded the defecting AAP MPs “gaddars” (traitors) of Punjab, predicting their political oblivion in BJP and dismissing their exit as departure of “non-mass leaders”.“These six-seven people who have quit AAP are not Punjab, they are gaddars. A party and its organisation are bigger than individuals. They got positions on a platter without facing the electorate. But they have no future in the BJP,” Mann told the media. “See what happened to Jyotiraditya Scindia, Capt Amarinder Singh, you don’t hear of Manpreet Singh Badal. Ravneet Singh Bittu is a little active, but they will abandon him when they realise he has no say in the state.“Slamming the saffron party, Mann said, “The BJP has done gaddari (betrayal) with Punjab.” He argued the BJP is repeating the same pattern of sabotage seen in Maharashtra (with parties of Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray) and against the Congress. Mann asserted that the BJP is “rattled” by AAP’s progress and, having no grassroots base of its own, is resorting to underhanded tactics. “They got nervous and decided to create problems in our party,” he said.Asked if the MPs’ exit could have a bearing on the next Punjab assembly elections, Mann replied, “They are not mass leaders. Even a sarpanch has a dedicated vote bank. They did not earn votes but were rewarded with Rajya Sabha membership, otherwise they are not worthy of becoming a sarpanch.” “How will they face people of Punjab now. They mistook official salutes for personal popularity. People of Punjab will teach them a lesson,” Mann said, adding the party has no machine that can find out if one is “deceitful at heart”.Mann claimed the BJP harbours a deep-seated dislike for Punjab. He pointed to the withholding of rural development fund (RDF) and accused it of failed attempts to make a breakaway group of AAP MLAs. “The BJP cannot win in Punjab but indulges in tikdam baazi (manipulation),” he alleged.Mann further alleged the BJP uses economic intimidation to coerce rivals. “They must have scared them. Harbhajan Singh is a commentator, and they might have threatened to make him jobless as they control the BCCI. My own ‘Jugnu’ serial was taken off air,” he said.He accused the BJP of using agencies like the ED and NIA to destabilise rivals, pointing to the recent raid on MP Ashok Mittal and the pressure on Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal.Mann said the BJP was not a party of “Bharat ki janta” but is actually a party of “Kadde-Wadde-Chadde.” “Before joining the BJP, our MPs should have consulted Dushyant Chautala. The BJP finishes any party it enters into an alliance with,” he said.“If someone cheats Punjabis, they don’t forget it,” said Mann, adding that AAP faced a similar situation when Bholath MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira had quit with a group of rebel AAP MLAs. “Where are they now?” Mann asked.BOXESNo ‘suffocation’ at house no. 50? Mann to ChadhaTaking a jab at Raghav Chadha, CM Bhagwant Mann remarked, “Chadha claims he was ‘suffocating’ within the AAP, yet he seemed to breathe just fine while enjoying his stay at House No. 50 in Chandigarh.” Mann quipped, “Even a bicycle has a stand.”AAP stays unitedCM Bhagwant Mann said that AAP and its organisation stood united as a party and the leaving of the MPs would not make any difference. “There is no bad blood among AAP MLAs in Punjab and we amicably sort out our issues,” he said, adding, “Parties don’t break up like this. AAP is already a national party.”Mann dares ED to raid himCM Bhagwant Mann said, “I am asking the ED to conduct a raid at my residence. There is no currency that can buy Bhagwant Mann. I dare them to buy me over. There is no price for people’s love and affection.”‘Seechewal to continue to represent PbReplying to a question, CM Bhagwant Mann said Balbir Singh Seechewal (from Punjab) continues to be with AAP and the party’s other MPs like Sanjay Singh and NDD Gupta will also raise the state’s issues. “But these MPs (who quit) had gone to represent Punjab but cheated Punjabis,” he said.Try winning people’s hearts: MannCM Bhagwant Mann said when the BJP could not find corruption charges against him, they decided “to break my people,” adding, “But I have no group of MPs and MLAs. People of Punjab are my group. They planned to break our party without realising that the BJP has only two MLAs in the state. Instead of borrowing leaders from other parties, they should try to win people’s hearts.”MSID:: 130496565 413 |
