SAD Secretary and Spokesman Daljit Singh Cheema. (File) The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Sunday said Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and AAP Punjab unit convener Bhagwant Mann were “hand in glove with the BJP-led Central government and that Mann had given his assent to the implementation of the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 in a meeting of the parliamentary Standing Committee on Food and Consumer Affairs with Kejriwal’s approval”.
In a statement here, senior Akali leader and former minister Daljit Singh Cheema said “Arvind Kejriwal should have apologised to the farmers for the sin committed by Bhagwant Mann during the AAP public function at Baghapurana today. The very fact that he did not do so proves that Kejriwal sold off the interests of farmers to the BJP-led Central government”.
Stating that the actions of the AAP leadership had irrefutably proved that both Kejriwal and Mann were partners in crime in the conspiracy against the farming community, Cheema said “it was also now clear that Bhagwant Mann indulged in this devious act with the approval of the Delhi Chief Minister. AAP has struck a deal with the Centre at the cost of the welfare of the farmers of the country. It stands thoroughly exposed”.
Asserting that earlier also Bhagwant Mann had obliged the BJP government on the same issue, Cheema said, “Mann had walked out from the Lok Sabha when the Essential Commodities Act was tabled for amendment. At that time Mann made a false claim that the Bill was not put to vote. Now he has supported the same Act which proves that he is mixed up with corporate houses and did all this purposely to benefit them as well as the Central government”.
The SAD leader also took on the AAP convener for “trying to mislead Punjabis with mischievous propaganda during the course of the Baghapurana function today”. Cheema said, “Kejriwal had made a great show of allegedly refusing permission for use of stadiums as jails for farmers. Delhi chief minister should first explain why he allowed fortification, including construction of concrete walls, barbed wire fencing and iron spikes to be installed in his territory at the border with Haryana. It is clear that you cooperated with the Centre to keep farmers out of Delhi.”
Cheema also condemned Kejriwal for persecuting Sikh youth who were jailed in Delhi as part of the Kisan Andolan. He said, “Sikh youth have given accounts of how their articles of faith were insulted in Tihar jail which is under your (Kejriwal’s) supervision as well as how advocates from the Delhi government’s Advocate General office opposed their bail application.”
The Akali leader also urged the youth not to be misled by Kejriwal’s promise to fulfil the commitments made by Captain Amarinder Singh by giving them government jobs if the AAP government comes to power in the state. He added, “This is the same man who took a false oath like Captain Amarinder Singh on the head of his children saying he would never have any truck with the Congress or the BJP but went on to form the government with the assistance of the Congress party. Like Amarinder, who also took a false oath in the name of the Gutka Sahib and the ‘charan’ of the Dasam Pitah, Kejriwal also cannot be trusted.”