Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Raghav Chaddha on Sunday alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was indulging in horse-trading and trying to purchase AAP leaders but even a volunteer of his party could not be bought by the BJP.
"BJP, the party which forced the farmers to struggle on roads during cold and hot weather for more than a year and forced 750 farmers to sacrifice their lives during their struggle against farm laws, the party which does not even get entry in various towns and villages of Punjab is now trying to regain its footing in Punjab by trying to buy our AAP leaders. Our various Punjab leaders have been contacted, including Bhagwant Mann. But I want to tell BJP that no matter how much money you have, how many agencies like ED and CBI you have, you cannot even buy an ordinary volunteer of our party, let alone our MPs and MLAs. They will not get lured by your money, castles and your offers. They will not get intimidated and sell out," Chaddha told a press conference.
Chadha said that the party had asked its Punjab leaders to record the telephonic conversations in case any BJP leaders try to contact them and lure them into joining their party. "We will make the recordings public and reveal the true face of BJP before everyone," he added.
He quipped that the AAP has a list of 25 sitting Congress MLAs who want to join AAP and BJP can get them to contest elections from their party. "We don't like Congress's garbage. You can take them," he added.
Reacting to Punjab Congress Chief Navjot Singh Sidhu joining protests of Delhi government school teachers near CM Arvind Kejriwal's residence, he remarked that Sidhu has turned into 'Rakhi Sawant' of Punjab politics and does something dramatic every day.
"Even commenting on him is worthless. Our education minister Manish Sisodia had challenged the Punjab Education Minister Pargat Singh to have a public debate on what both states have done for education, their children and their teachers. But he ran away from the debate," he added.
Punjab Congress Chief Navjot Singh Sidhu on Sunday joined a dharna by guest teachers outside Delhi Chief Minister and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal's residence. The guest teachers of the Delhi government were demanding regularisation of their jobs.
He questioned Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi over his lack of action on illegal sand mining taking place in his constituency, Jindapur.
"Chief Minister today visits various distant places and says that mining is legal in those places. But he never went to the place, his own assembly constituency where our party raided and discovered the illegal mining. Even the Forest Range Officer, wrote a letter to us saying that illegal mining is taking place in that area. Why have you not taken action against illegal mining in your own constituency? It raises a question whether the Chief Minister himself is part of the sand mafia. Punjab's sand, which is our blood, has been sold," he said.
A day ago, Delhi MLA and Punjab co-incharge for AAP, Chadha had alleged that Charanjit Singh Channi is part of the sand mafia. He had alleged illegal sand mining is being carried out under the patronage of the Punjab CM in his own constituency Chamkaur Sahib.
Punjab is scheduled to go to Assembly polls in 2022.
( With inputs from ANI )
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