CHANDIGARH: In Haryana, Aam Aadmi Party has geared up for the upcoming assembly elections. Regarding this, on Thursday, Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Bhagwant Singh Mann, Rajya Sabha MP and National Spokesperson Sanjay Singh and Rajya Sabha MP and National General Secretary (Organization) Dr. Sandeep Pathak held a joint press conference.
During this, Aam Aadmi Party State President Dr. Sushil Gupta and Senior State Vice President Anurag Dhanda were also present among others. Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Bhagwant Mann said that Aam Aadmi Party is a national party certified by the Election Commission after it took 14% votes in Gujarat. Aam Aadmi Party has achieved the status of the fastest national party. "We have AAP government in two states, 5 MLAs in Gujarat and 2 MLAs in Goa. We have mayors in Chandigarh and Singoli, " said Mann. Aam Aadmi Party will contest the assembly elections in Haryana on all 90 assembly seats with full strength. There is Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi and Punjab. Half of Haryana is connected to Punjab and half to Delhi.
He said the people of Haryana gave a chance to all the parties. But everyone looted Haryana, so the people of Haryana now want change. Haryana's Lal Arvind Kejriwal changed the politics of the entire country. 'Recently, in the assembly by-election, Aam Aadmi Party registered a unilateral victory from Jalandhar seat. Won Sangrur, Hoshiarpur and Anantapur seats in Lok Sabha elections. Being the Chief Minister, it is my duty to go to campaign wherever my duty is imposed in the entire country. We will fight as a team with full strength, " added Mann.
Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has just announced that Aam Aadmi Party will contest elections with full strength in Haryana. We took this decision because the people of Haryana saw the rule of all parties. According to Prime Minister Modi, a double engine government has been running in Haryana for the last 10 years. But what has this double engine government given to Haryana in the last 10 years is a very important question.
He slammed the BJP government led by Nayan Singh and said today Haryana has become a stronghold of extortion gangs. We saw how the farmers of Haryana were lathicharged in the movement and the demands of the farmers of Haryana and Punjab were compromised. He said that unemployment is the biggest problem of Haryana. In every village of Haryana, families of martyrs and a village gate are found in the name of a martyr and the BJP government comes up with a scheme like Agniveer. The youth of Haryana and Punjab feel proud by joining the army that we are ready to sacrifice our lives to protect our Mother India. But BJP has put the Indian Army on contract. Will Indian Army go on contract for 4 years?
He said this is an insult to the Indian Army and also to the youth of Haryana who proudly join the army and give their martyrdom. Agniveer Yojana is a betrayal to the country and should be withdrawn. This will also be our issue in this election. The issue of farmers' crop prices, whenever a farmer goes to demand crop prices, they are being crushed. The issue of unemployment, the condition to which the BJP government has brought Haryana today, is not hidden from anyone. Apart from this, ransom industry is running in Haryana, the state president of a party was shot dead.
He said that today people have expectations from Aam Aadmi Party. In Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal performed well as the Chief Minister. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has shown success in his journey of just two years. Till now 43 thousand government jobs have been given to the youth. Where there was not a single case of bribery or paper leak. Delhi's model is becoming a topic of discussion in the entire country today. Which includes the model of education, health, electricity-water and pilgrimage for the elderly.
He said Aam Aadmi Party has done exemplary work. When US President Donald Trump's wife comes to India, she visits Arvind Kejriwal's school. That is why the people of Haryana have given a slogan for their son that "iss baar badlenge haryana ka haal, layenge Kejriwal". With this slogan, Aam Aadmi Party will enter the elections with full force. "BJP has created the condition of the country at this time. They have replaced Khattar saheb's engine with Saini saheb's engine. But the public knows everything and they will answer them in the elections. Aam Aadmi Party will contest elections strongly on all 90 seats of Haryana, " said Singh.
National General Secretary (Organization) Dr. Sandeep Pathak said that if there is any doubt in anyone's mind that how will the Aam Aadmi Party contest elections in Haryana? So I want to make it clear that the world will see whether Aam Aadmi Party will contest elections in Haryana in historic way with full force of workers. Aam Aadmi Party will contest elections to form the government. Will contest elections with full strength on every seat and every booth. Aam Aadmi Party has conducted Parivartan Jansamvad Sabha in 6500 villages. Only one thing is coming out in these meetings that this time change is needed. This time the people of Haryana are looking towards their son Arvind Kejriwal with hopeful eyes.
He said this election is going to be very amazing and unprecedented. There will be a town hall on 20th July, in which Arvind Kejriwal's guarantee for Haryana will be launched. After this, Aam Aadmi Party will very soon appoint Assembly Presidents and will contest the elections with full strength. He said that in the Lok Sabha elections, Aam Aadmi Party candidate Dr Sushil Gupta had won outright in 4 assembly constituencies in Kurukshetra. We had lost in that election only by some margin. Aam Aadmi Party will contest elections in every assembly, every village and every booth with the same strength with which the Kurukshetra elections were fought.
14 deaths in 14 days in June, pUNJAB drug crisis out of AAPs control: Raja Warring
CHANDIGARH: Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, President of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee and Member of Parliament from Ludhiana, has sharply criticized the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann over the worsening drug crisis in Punjab.
In a scathing statement, Warring remarked, “Throughout the Aam Aadmi Party's tenure in Punjab, which has lasted over two and a half years, all we've heard are dates and timelines for when the drug crisis will end. Instead of improving, the situation has deteriorated, with the drug problem increasing fourfold under AAP's governance.”
Warring pointed out the broken promises made by the AAP during the 2022 Vidhan Sabha elections, saying, “The Aam Aadmi Party came to power with the promise of ending the drug menace in Punjab within three months of their victory. However, the crisis has only escalated, with the drug problem increasing fourfold in our state. The number of deaths due to drug-related issues has also risen significantly over the past two years. The month of June witnessed an astonishing 14 deaths in 14 days due to drug overdose with four more deaths being reported yesterday itself. The youth of our state is slowly being engulfed by the 'drug pandemic' being witnessed in Punjab. This 28-month tenure has led to the death of at least 587 youngsters in Punjab, with actual figures being around 4-times the reported number.”
Expressing his alarm over the current situation, Warring stated, “The condition in Punjab is alarming, with our state facing unprecedented issues. Mere statements and rhetoric from the Aam Aadmi Party have exacerbated the situation. On August 15, 2023, CM Bhagwant Mann claimed that heroin would be eradicated in Punjab by this time next year. With less than a month remaining, I am certain a new timeline will be provided, claiming that groundwork has already started.”
Warring also criticized the inaction of the AAP government, questioning, “I would like to ask the CM, why isn’t work starting? What is the Aam Aadmi Party waiting for? How many more false promises must we hear before actual work begins? You claim to know where all the drugs are being sold in every street of Punjab, yet you still cannot contain the crisis? This is a serious issue, and the Punjab government needs to be held accountable, unlike the administration and police force which are being blamed by CM Mann.”
Stressing the need for immediate action, Warring declared, “It is crucial that strict measures be taken to control the situation. Ardaas at the Harimandar Sahib as a publicity stunt will not work; Punjab needs action from the government. The situation is so dire that reports indicate patients in de-addiction centres are becoming addicted to the de-addiction drugs due to mismanaged distribution by doctors. Is this the future of our Punjab?”
He further added, “New types of drugs are recently entering the market, with pharmaceutical drugs accounting for 25% of NDPS FIRs in Punjab. Additionally, NCRB data has shown that Punjab had the highest number of drug overdose deaths in the nation in 2022. Is this the change and eradication of drugs that the AAP government promised?”
In conclusion, Amarinder Singh Raja Warring called for urgent and effective measures to combat the drug crisis in Punjab, urging the AAP government to fulfill its promises and take real action to protect the people of the state from the devastating impact of drugs. The PPCC Chief reiterated his commitment to holding the government accountable and working towards a drug-free Punjab.