Gurdaspur byelection: Sukhpal Singh Khaira accepts Sunil Jakhar ‘challenge’ for public debate

Sukhpal Singh Khaira (Express File Photo) 

WELCOMING THE ‘challenge’ thrown by Sunil Jakhar for a public debate on the current political situation in the state as well as in Gurdaspur, leader of the Opposition, Sukhpal Singh Khaira, on Monday said the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaves the time, place and date to Jakhar. In a statement released here on Monday, Khaira said Jakhar could pick any AAP leader to debate with from among state party president Bhagwant Mann, Gurdaspur candidate Major General (Retd) Suresh Khajuria or him.

He further stated that his party was a votary of clean politics sans money power, drugs and muscle power. “I have repeatedly announced that my party would neither hold big rallies nor splurge money in any manner to woo the voters of Gurdaspur. It is a good sign if the Congress candidate, Sunil Jakhar, also stands for the same values.”

The AAP leader said since there was no point wasting crores on polluting the already polluted electoral system of the country, holding debates through the media on the pattern of developed countries would only strengthen democracy.

Setting the agenda, the AAP leader said the burning issues of farmer suicides, unemployment, rampant corruption, drug abuse, complete breakdown of law and order etc. in Punjab need to be debated threadbare. “Similarly, failures of the Modi government, including slowdown in growth, frivolous demonetisation, his failure to bring back black money stashed in foreign countries, gross discrimination against Punjab by extending for 10 more years the industrial tax holiday package for the hill states of HP, J&K, etc. also needs to be debated,” he said.