Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann during a road show in Amritsar on Sunday. (Rana Simranjit Singh) Top AAP leaders and hundreds of party volunteers from across Punjab descended on Amristar Sunday for a massive road show that choked city streets almost throughout the day. Led by CM-designate Bhagwant Mann and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, the road show took the BRTS lane, but crowd spilled to other lanes as the victory march progressed.
In his short speech during the road show, Kejriwal said, “Tusi kamaal kar ditta. I love you, Punjab. The whole world is talking about you. The world is in disbelief that such a revolution has come to Punjab. All big names were defeated. It is a big revolution. Only Punjabis could have done this.”
He added, “Punjab has got an honest chief minister in Bhagwant Mann after so many years. It will be an honest government. If our minister or MLA does corruption, we will send that person to jail. We will stop this loot. Every penny will be spent on the people…We will keep all the guarantees. Some may take time. Some will be done instantly. But we will keep all. Every Punjabi will become CM on March 16. All Punjabis are invited to Khattar Kalan. You all have to take oath as Chief Minister.”
Mann, meanwhile, cracked jokes about big names getting defeated like former CMs Parkash Singh Badal, Amarinder Singh, former Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Sukhbir Badal, former finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal and others.
He added: “Punjabis are invited for oath taking ceremony on March 16. You all have to come with basanti (yellow) turbans to take oath and carry ideology of Bhagat Singh to every home. All Punjabis will take oath as CM and all will be CM.”
Talking about first achievement of his government, Mann said, “We’ve decreased security of 122 people and due to that 403 police personnel and 27 police vehicles have returned to the police stations. No government office will have CM’s photos but will have pictures of Shaheed Bhagat Singh and Babasaheb Ambedkar.”
Bhagwant Mann said that the newly elected Government would start functioning from the very first day to deliver on promises made to people.
Big cut-outs of the Mann and Kejriwal were installed along the roads all over the Amritsar for the road show. Many AAP workers carried party flags and tricolours in their hands.
People standing on both sides of the roads were showering flower petals and raising slogans ‘Inqlaab Zindabad’, ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ and ‘Bole So Nihaal…’. Both leaders waved their hands at people and acknowledged their support.
The AAP cavalcade, with Mann and Kejriwal in an open vehicle, started from local Court Chowk, which concluded at 4-S Chowk.
Controversy over Road Show
Congress MLA Sukhpal Khaira attacked Aam Adami Party for allegedly using government buses to fetch the AAP workers for the road show.
“This is gross misuse of public exchequer for party promotion which is totally unacceptable at a time when we’re burdened with a colossal debt. I urge Kejriwal to deposit this people’s money back in the treasury,” tweeted Khaira while posting an alleged letter in which DCs of all districts were allotted Rs 2 lakh to arrange the buses for transportation. The alleged letter also allocated Rs 15 lakh extra to Amritsar Deputy Commissioner to make the arrangements for road show.
Khaira said, “I thought AAP would work differently as promised but unfortunately its first action of misusing government transport for its party rally at Amritsar today has shown they’re no different than traditional parties.”
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