New Delhi: Taking note of Punjab's socio-political turmoil, AAP National Convenor and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal guaranteed the state of giving an honest & stable, strong, and disciplined government. He said that AAP will put an end to sacrilege incidents and punish all masterminds and conspirators hell-bent on disrupting peace in Punjab. He added that AAP will take 5 crucial steps to strengthen security and promote brotherhood in Punjab; and will end corruption in the police force, strengthen border security to prevent the entry of terrorists and drugs.
He assured that all cases of sacrilege and blasts will be probed, masterminds will be jailed to make sure no such occurrences take place in the future; additional police force will be constituted for all religious places. He appealed and said giving 6 months to AAP; will completely eradicate the drug problem in Punjab.
AAP National Convenor and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal addresses a massive Jansabha and celebrates Christmas in Punjab
AAP National Convenor and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal addressed the media regarding the tragic incident of sacrilege and the blast in Ludhiana and expressed his condolences for those who lost their lives. Following this, he spoke at the Jansabha at Hanuma Chowk in Gurdaspur amidst roaring crowds, where he guaranteed to transform Punjab. Arvind Kejriwal also attended the Christmas festivities at the New Egertin Woollen Mills Ground in Dhariwal, extending his wishes and speaking about the importance of the teachings of Jesus Christ.
Amidst roaring crowds chanting ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’, ‘Inquilab Zindabad’, and ‘Jo Bole So Nihaal, Sat Sri Akaal’, AAP National Convenor and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal said, “I extend my heartiest greetings to everyone gathered here in such large numbers today. I have been informed that the highest number of soldiers in the Indian army are from Gurdaspur and Pathankot. And hence, most of the people that have been martyred have belonged to these districts. Both these districts are the ultimate homes for patriotism in our country.”
People with tainted intentions executing horrific occurrences like sacrilege and blasts in order to disrupt peace in Punjab ahead of elections: Arvind Kejriwal
Speaking about the recent incidents of sacrilege and the blast in Punjab, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal said, “It is deeply tragic to hear about the blast that took place in Ludhiana yesterday. It is a very unfortunate incident in which one person was killed and several are injured right now. Bhagwant Mann Ji has gone to visit them. I hope that the departed soul rests in peace with God and pray for a speedy recovery for the injured. A few days ago, an incident of sacrilege against the Guru Granth Sahib took place at the most sacred place for the Sikh community, Sri Harmandar Sahib. We are suspecting that the occurrence of such incidents happening right before the elections could have a possible conspiracy behind them, that they’re being deliberately initiated in order to disturb Punjab’s atmosphere."
"During the last election season as well, a bomb blast had taken place in Morh a week or so before the elections. In 2015 as well, an incident of sacrilege occurred in Bargari. And again, just in time before the elections, a certain group of people with highly tainted and questionable intentions are executing such horrific occurrences in order to disrupt peace and stir fear in people’s minds. Who are these people? They must be identified, caught, and punished immediately. In my opinion, the person who entered the Golden Temple and committed sacrilege was definitely motivated by an external authority, that he did not do it on his own and was sent by someone. There is definitely a mastermind behind these occurrences who is calling the shots. Such incidents will keep taking place until the government itself is stable and committed enough to stop them at the source,” Kejriwal added.
Punjab has a weak and incompetent government; incapable of bringing about development and peace: Arvind Kejriwal
He added, “Years have passed and governments have changed since the last sacrilege incident which took place back in 2015. Akali Dal Government left, Congress came in under Captain Amarinder Singh, then again leadership changed to current Punjab CM Charanjeet Channi Sahab. But till today the perpetrators are roaming free. No action has been taken in over 6 years by any of these governments, clearly giving a message of incompetence and connivance with the criminals."
"Had the mastermind behind these horrific incidents been tracked and punished then itself, no one would have had the courage to commit sacrilege ever again. So the message is clear, all past governments are complicit. Today’s government in Punjab is pathetically weak and incompetent. The Channi Government has plenty of its own internal turbulence and infighting and has no time or will to handle a state, forget actually working for Punjab’s progress. How will these people run a government? Such a government is incapable of bringing about the development and peace in Punjab that it needs.” said AAP National Convenor.
AAP will give Punjab an honest & stable, a strong, and a disciplined government: Arvind Kejriwal
AAP Convenor Arvind Kejriwal continued, “The Aam Aadmi Party will give Punjab what it urgently needs – an honest, stable, a strong, and a disciplined government. Until a robust and honest government takes charge in Punjab, peace will be a far-fetched dream for the state and such horrific incidents will continue to occur. The Aam Aadmi Party is the only party in the country which works with brutal honesty. We have worked wonders and eradicated corruption in Delhi, and will do the same for Punjab. We will give Punjab a united government which doesn’t spend its time bickering and infighting. Today, I am standing here on his holy land and giving the people of Punjab a guarantee that once the Aam Aadmi Party comes to power, we will bring peace, safety, and promote brotherhood among all communities in the state.”
AAP will take 5 crucial steps to strengthen security and promote brotherhood in Punjab; will end corruption in the police force: Arvind Kejriwal
He elaborated, “We will take 5 crucial steps in this direction: First, it is well known that there is a widespread system of exchange of money while assigning positions in the police force, be it an SHO, a certain police station, SP, DSP, and everyone else. The current Punjab government has also put a price on all police positions. We will put an end to this current system of bribery and corruption. Hardworking and efficient police officers will be appointed with full transparency and honesty under our government and they will be enabled to ensure peace and safety in Punjab. No MLA or politician will be allowed to interfere in the police’s work. The copy of the FIR will be found at the station and not at the MLA’s house."
"Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, who is with us today, was an honest officer at the post of IG in the police force. He probed the Bargari case and found many important people guilty in the matter. But his report was dismissed and buried. Had the then Punjab administration let this honest police officer do his work diligently, then another sacrilege incident would not have occurred for all these masterminds would have been behind bars. We will hence let the honest police officers in Punjab take centre stage and not tolerate any external interference in their work,” AAP National Convenor said.
Will equip the army, BSF and police in Punjab with the most state-of-the-art technology: Arvind Kejriwal
He continued, “Second, we will probe all cases of sacrilege and bomb blasts in Punjab till now, expose all the perpetrators behind these occurences all the way up to the mastermind, and take firm action against them – will send them all to jail. We will take such strict measures against them that forget repeating, even the thought of sacrilege against any religious texts will not strike them. Third, we will secure each and every inch of the border to completely obstruct the entry of any terrorists from outside the country as well as the inflow of drugs from Pakistan. Fourth, I was speaking to some police officers about the increase in drones coming from Pakistan. To prevent this, we will equip our army, BSF, police force with the most advanced technology to spot and shoot down any drone entering Punjab’s air space. Fifth, a separate police force will be constituted to ensure tight security in all religious places be it gurudwaras, temples, mosques, or churches so that no incident of sacrilege can ever take place again.”
Congress had vowed to end the problem of drug addiction in Punjab within a month of coming to power, but changed nothing: Arvind Kejriwal
Arvind Kejriwal said, “Last time during the 2017 elections, Congress leaders pledged to completely eradicate the drug racket in Punjab. Were they able to eradicate the problem of addiction from Punjab’s villages, from the lives of Punjab’s youth? No, it has instead been on the rise. Nothing happened. Every village, district, Halka has drug networks running deep within. Our young population either went away to Canada or got caught up with the drug crisis. All the Congress Government has done to curb the drug racket in 5 years is merely registering an FIR against one single person. And they go about boasting on top of their voices about achievements that they do not have. All they did was below the bare minimum by registering an FIR a few days before the elections, and both Channi Sahab and Sidhu Sahab are boasting about it as if they have eradicated the entire problem from the state."
"Did the problem end with this one FIR? It is a mere election gimmick and a betrayal to the public. This clearly shows that the Congress Government doesn't care about ending the drug problem, their sole aim is to scour for votes right before elections. The problem of drug addiction is plaguing all of Punjab, which makes it clear that there is a prominent presence of major dealers in every locality in Punjab. Who will stop them? The Channi Government has not taken action against a single dealer, nor have they seized a single gram of drugs. Once the Aam Aadmi Party forms the government in Punjab, I ask for 6 months from you – we will completely eradicate the drug rackets from Punjab within those 6 months. We have brave and honest police officers like Kunwar Vijay Pratap on our side. They know their job well. We know how to actually bring about change because our intentions are clear. We are not running some gimmick or putting on a show like the current Punjab Government.”
Appeal to the people of Punjab to vote for Aam Aadmi Party if you want good schools and quality education for your children: Arvind Kejriwal
Speaking about AAP’s work in education, Arvind Kejriwal said, “Many of you must have heard about the transformation of schools in Delhi. Earlier, the condition of government schools in Delhi was also extremely poor – there were broken desks, collapsing walls, no attendance and absolutely no education. No parent wanted to send their children to these schools. We worked very hard for over 5 years to transform them and turn them into splendid education institutes. This year, 95% of students from Delhi’s government schools have passed with flying colours. The reform in these schools was so impressive that this year 2.5 lakh students transferred from private schools to Delhi’s government schools."
"I ask you all, would you ever transfer your kid from a private school in Punjab to a government one? Never. The condition of government schools is extremely poor in Punjab. There’s no sign of any proper education taking place in Punjab’s government schools. Shouldn’t Punjab’s schools also be well developed and fully functioning like Delhi’s? Channi Sahab said that Punjab’s schools are world-class, that there is no need to fix them. So clearly, he has no intention of improving the condition of Punjab’s government schools. If they come back to power, the dismal condition of education in Punjab will persist. So if you want good schools with quality education, you should vote for the Aam Aadmi Party," Delhi CM said.
Credit for the transformation of Delhi schools goes to the teachers and principals: Arvind Kejriwal
He added, “I would like to make it clear that the improvements that took place in the government schools of Delhi weren’t made by Arvind Kejriwal or Manish Sisodia, but the teachers themselves. We owe it to the principals and the teachers that Delhi’s government schools are rolling out world-class students today. All we did was create an environment for them to thrive. As soon as we did that, they worked their magic and did a splendid job on their own. The teachers in Punjab are great, they’re talented, but they are extremely distressed with the state of affairs. I have met with them and I know that they also want to change the face of education in Punjab."
"Once the Aam Aadmi Party forms the government in Punjab, like Delhi, we will begin by transforming the ambiance and give the teachers the right kind of atmosphere so that we can work hand-in-hand with them to revolutionise the face of the education sector in Punjab. This is an assured promise from me to the teachers and to all the parents. The then American President Donald Trump came to Delhi to visit PM Modi last year, and his wife Melania requested to visit the government schools in Delhi."
"This is how far and wide the praises of Delhi’s government schools have traveled, all the way to the White House in America. Despite Modi Ji's attempt to divert Melania Trump’s attention to Central Government’s schools and private schools, Melania was adamant about wanting to visit a Delhi government school. We will also make sure that the same change occurs in Punjab’s schools as well,” he said.
Our government will provide free treatment to the people in Punjab like Delhi: Arvind Kejriwal
Talking about AAP’s work in healthcare, Arvind Kejriwal further said, “We revolutionised healthcare in Delhi. We built a lot of Mohalla Clinics, and vastly improved the condition of all government hospitals. Earlier the condition of these hospitals was extremely poor – no doctors, or medicines, faulty machines and so on. But we have now transformed these hospitals and made them even better than private ones like Max and Fortis. Treatment has become such a hassle these days, that 2-3 lacs are easily spent in private clinics and hospitals if someone falls sick. To take this burden off the shoulders of the people of Delhi, we have provided them with a safety net."
"If someone falls sick in Delhi, no matter how big or small the treatment is, no matter what the cost is, the patient gets free treatment. Be it a crocin or a 70 lac treatment, they get it for free. Shouldn’t Punjab also get this facility? Shouldn’t the people in Punjab also get free treatment? We will make it happen. We will make all medicines, surgeries, tests, everything free for the people of Punjab. Channi Sahab accuses me of throwing away money and giving everything for free," he added.
"Do the children in Punjab not deserve quality education? Do they not deserve free and proper treatment for their illness? Is spending money on the people of your state illegal? Is it immoral? No, it isn’t, but yet they say it because they don’t want commoners to get facilities like they do. If a government cannot work for the education and treatment of its people, then they should be ashamed of themselves. What else is the money in your budget meant for? The public doesn’t pay taxes for your flights and ACs, it pays its government for better facilities, for schools and hospitals. Our intentions are clear. We will transform healthcare in Punjab as well,” Delhi CM said.
Will give free electricity to everyone in Punjab, as I have done in Delhi: Arvind Kejriwal
Speaking further about electricity, he added, “When the Aam Aadmi Party came to power in Delhi, the city used to experience power cuts lasting 7-8 hours at a time. It took me 3-4 years, but I personally went to each and every street, and got the wires and transformers changed. Today Delhi received electricity 24x7. I found out that Punjab also sees long power cuts, and we will change that. Like Delhi, we will provide 24x7 electricity supply in Punjab as well. Earlier, the electricity bills were also extravagant in Delhi. Today, the people of Delhi get electricity for free. Many people don’t believe the miracle we have brought about, but we have done it, we have brought the bills down to zero."
"I have brought proof with me: here’s someone whose bill for 170 units of electricity came out to be zero, another who used 180 units, again had a bill of zero rupees. Who wants free electricity in Punjab? I can see everyone raising their hands. We will also waive off all pending bills. Channi Sahab keeps accusing me of giving out everything for free and spending the government treasury away. He says I shouldn’t give free electricity, while he himself gets a supply of 5000 units of electricity for free. But if the public gets even 300 units of free electricity, he immediately takes offense. I have pledged to make all those facilities available to the public for free that Channi Sahab gets. We will turn every common man into a special man,” Kejriwal said.
Addressing the women at the Jansabha, AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal said, “I can see a lot of participation of women in today’s gathering. We made an announcement that we will give a thousand rupees a month to every woman above the age of 18 in Punjab. Shouldn’t every woman receive this amount? A Punjab politician says that this scheme will spoil the women. What about you? Did you not get spoiled after scamming thousands of crores?
And you have the audacity to say that our women will get spoiled after receiving a mere thousand rupees a month? They say that Punjab’s government vaults will run out if women are given this monthly allowance. But Punjab’s treasury was truly emptied by these corrupt politicians themselves by acquiring land after land, property after property, building hotels and so on.
They garnered so much wealth at the expense of Punjab’s treasury. No vault will run out when we give our women their deserved share. In fact, the state of Punjab will flourish because of their good wishes and blessings.”
Punjab has to decide whether they want a government which plays Gilli-Danda or one which builds schools and hospitals for them: Arvind Kejriwal
He added, “Channi Sahab has been making the rounds claiming to be the true ‘Aam Aadmi’ (common man), saying ‘Kejriwal isn’t an Aam Aadmi’. He proudly says that he knows how to play Gilli-Danda and Kancha, ‘does Kejriwal?’ He goes on to mention ridiculous activities like mounting a tent, milking a cow asking whether I can do these things. Today, I will personally address these questions. No, I don’t know how to play Gilli Danda.
But what I do know is how to make great schools for my students to excel. I don’t know how to play ‘Kancha’, but I know very well how to build hospitals and Mohalla Clinics for your treatment. I don’t know how to mount a tent, but I know how to provide free electricity to my people. I don’t know how to milk a cow, but I know how to make sure my people get 24x7 electricity supply with no power cuts. Now it is on the people of Punjab to decide if they want a government which plays Gilli-Danda or one which builds schools and hospitals for them.”
Remarking on the state of the current Punjab Government, he said, “The Congress Party has completely broken down. It is plagued by incessant internal politics and has become a circus and is filled with jokers. No senior leader in their party gets along with the other. Siddhu Sahab doesn’t get along with Channi Sahab. Channi Sahab doesn’t get along with Jakhar Sahab, who in turn doesn’t get along with Pratap Bajwa, and on and on."
"There is immense internal feud and cabinet meetings are full of conflict and arguments. In the end all I ask for is one opportunity. You, the people of Punjab, gave chance after chance to the Congress party for 25 years. Then 19 years you gave to the Badal family. All these people did was wreak havoc in Punjab and made matters worse. I am asking for just five years from you. If I do not deliver on my guarantees in these 5 years, you can kick me out of power in the next election season. I am giving you my word,” he added.
All 3 crore people in Punjab rise above their religion and caste and live as a united front; this is the beauty of the state: Arvind Kejriwal
Addressing the gathering at the Christmas celebration, AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal said, “I thank the Archbishop for explaining the meaning behind the word ‘Hallelujah’ so well as well as the story of the birth of Jesus Christ. I extend my heartiest greetings to all pastors, priests and everyone gathered here today and wish them a Merry Christmas.
I can see Hindus, Sikhs, and Muslims all in large numbers alongside the Christians – this is the beauty of Punjab, that all 3 crore people in Punjab rise above their religion and caste and live as a united front. You displayed a brilliant example of your unity by leading the Farmers Movement against the 3 black laws, and had the entire country rally behind your cause eventually causing the Centre to give up. This is the unity that the people in power fear.”
All religions teach us to serve those in need; AAP Government is implement the same in Delhi: Arvind Kejriwal
He added, “We have gathered here today to celebrate a very auspicious occasion. Jesus Christ’s life and lessons are truly inspiring. After college and working at Tata Steel, I left my job to work at a Mother Teresa ashram for months. We brought in infected beggars and poor people and treated them, took care of them. It was at this point in my life that I realised how much joy serving people brought me. Jesus Christ spent his life selflessly looking after others and forgiving all those who spoke against him.
Even during his last breath while being crucified, he prayed for forgiveness for the very people who killed him. Today, the Aam Aadmi Party’s government in Delhi walks on the path shown by Jesus, and by all other religions, as they all teach us to selflessly serve the helpless and the needy. That is what the Delhi Government is trying to do through its development measures, be it schools for poor children, free treatment for the helpless in government hospitals, free electricity and water.”
