CHANDIGARH: Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday questioned the timing of Aam Aadmi Party supremo Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest and left for Delhi to be with his counterpart’s family after accusing the BJP-led central govt of imposing “undeclared emergency” and “Putin-like dictatorship“.
Mann alleged before the media that: “The central agencies are being used as a tool against the opposition. If its leaders try to speak up against the BJP, the enforcement directorate (ED) or the central bureau of investigation (CBI) land up at their door. The country is in an undeclared emergency that (former deputy prime minister) L K Advani had predicted.”
Claiming Kejriwal to be “a patriot”, Mann said: “We (AAP) had been saying that they (the Centre) were looking for an excuse to arrest him. But look at the timing, they want all opposition to be out of the Lok Sabha campaign. They want to usurp the elections like Putin got votes in Russia.” Hitting out at the BJP over the electoral bonds issue, Mann alleged: “Sadhu ko sabhi log sadhu lagte hain, chor to sabhi chor (Everyone’s saint to a saint, and thief to a thief).”
‘Party in no danger, trust strong’
Replying to a question about the party’s future, Mann said: “Kejriwal is the name of an idea. His party and he will emerge stronger from this crisis. The party is not in danger.” He said he will continue to attend the meetings of opposition bloc I.N.D.I.A. as he used to do with Kejriwal, and the bloc will also write to the Election Commission. Asked specifically if his role in the party will now expand, Mann said Kejriwal trusted him to be a faithful soldier of the party. He said: “I will go to Gujarat and Kurukshetra next as asked.”
The Punjab CM alleged that Kejriwal’s family was under virtual house arrest. Referring to the other Delhi ministers under arrest, Mann said: “They include Satinder Jain, who revolutionised the health sector, and Manish Sisodia, who helped students crack top examinations. Sanjay Singh, who spoke up against the BJP in the Rajya Sabha, also faced action and now Kejriwal has been arrested.”
‘Agencies misused’
Accusing the Centre of using its governors to harass non-BJP govts like those of West Bengal and Tamil Naidu, Mann claimed to be a victim of this strategy in Punjab. He said: “Kerala’s CM protested recently at Jantar Mantar, the Tamil Naidu governor refused to read his speech in the Vidhan Sabha, while Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee is being troubled. Hemant Soren was arrested (in Jharkhand), while in Delhi, the LG (lieutenant governor) doesn’t allow Arvind Kejriwal to function.”
Bringing in Punjab issues, he said that his govt had to move the Supreme Court for more than Rs 8,000 crore in the pending rural development fund (RDF) and National Health Mission (NHM) grants that the Centre had held back. He said: “Is there democracy in the country anymore? They (the central government) accuse YouTube vloggers of hate speech and spare the BJP’s hate mongers.”
Mann alleged before the media that: “The central agencies are being used as a tool against the opposition. If its leaders try to speak up against the BJP, the enforcement directorate (ED) or the central bureau of investigation (CBI) land up at their door. The country is in an undeclared emergency that (former deputy prime minister) L K Advani had predicted.”
Claiming Kejriwal to be “a patriot”, Mann said: “We (AAP) had been saying that they (the Centre) were looking for an excuse to arrest him. But look at the timing, they want all opposition to be out of the Lok Sabha campaign. They want to usurp the elections like Putin got votes in Russia.” Hitting out at the BJP over the electoral bonds issue, Mann alleged: “Sadhu ko sabhi log sadhu lagte hain, chor to sabhi chor (Everyone’s saint to a saint, and thief to a thief).”
‘Party in no danger, trust strong’
Replying to a question about the party’s future, Mann said: “Kejriwal is the name of an idea. His party and he will emerge stronger from this crisis. The party is not in danger.” He said he will continue to attend the meetings of opposition bloc I.N.D.I.A. as he used to do with Kejriwal, and the bloc will also write to the Election Commission. Asked specifically if his role in the party will now expand, Mann said Kejriwal trusted him to be a faithful soldier of the party. He said: “I will go to Gujarat and Kurukshetra next as asked.”
The Punjab CM alleged that Kejriwal’s family was under virtual house arrest. Referring to the other Delhi ministers under arrest, Mann said: “They include Satinder Jain, who revolutionised the health sector, and Manish Sisodia, who helped students crack top examinations. Sanjay Singh, who spoke up against the BJP in the Rajya Sabha, also faced action and now Kejriwal has been arrested.”
‘Agencies misused’
Accusing the Centre of using its governors to harass non-BJP govts like those of West Bengal and Tamil Naidu, Mann claimed to be a victim of this strategy in Punjab. He said: “Kerala’s CM protested recently at Jantar Mantar, the Tamil Naidu governor refused to read his speech in the Vidhan Sabha, while Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee is being troubled. Hemant Soren was arrested (in Jharkhand), while in Delhi, the LG (lieutenant governor) doesn’t allow Arvind Kejriwal to function.”
Bringing in Punjab issues, he said that his govt had to move the Supreme Court for more than Rs 8,000 crore in the pending rural development fund (RDF) and National Health Mission (NHM) grants that the Centre had held back. He said: “Is there democracy in the country anymore? They (the central government) accuse YouTube vloggers of hate speech and spare the BJP’s hate mongers.”