Three months after leading the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to a resounding victory in elections to Punjab Vidhan Sabha, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday returned to the poll arena seeking votes in favour of the party candidate for by-elections to Sangrur Lok Sabha seat — that fall vacant after resignation by the two-time MP following his election from Dhuri assembly constituency.
Mann, addressing a roadshow while campaigning for party candidate Gurmail Singh, made it clear that exemplary action would be taken against politicians who had looted the State to fill their coffers.
“The Government has prepared a list of such corrupt politicians and soon action would be taken against them on a firm footing so that they cannot get bail,” declared Mann.
Lashing out at the Opposition for creating uproar over alleged deterioration of law and order situation in the State, Mann said that they are baffled with AAP Government’s good governance in Punjab. “Opposition leaders have been alarmed by the Government's action against corruption and the mafia. They are now afraid of going to jail,” he said.
“Our aim is to offer better facilities to the people of Punjab and to provide corruption-free administration. We are working painstakingly in this direction and action is being taken against corrupt leaders and Ministers for looting Punjab,” said Mann, adding that AAP Government has been compiling a list of the venal leaders and exemplary punishment will be given to them for their treachery with people of Punjab.
“Every penny of the public is now being spent on the public. Mafia and corruption has been annihilated. The leaders-mafia alliance that existed in previous governments has now been broken. Due to this, corrupt leaders and mafia have gathered against AAP and running a propaganda to malign the party’s clean image,” he said.
Taking a dig at Akali Dal for seeking votes by playing ‘panthic card’, Mann questioned SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal that if the jailed Sikhs were released just by becoming MPs, then both Sukhbir and Harsimrat Kaur Badal being an MP why didn't raise the issue for so many years.
Mann also dared Sukhbir to clarify under which rule of the Parliament, it has been written that after becoming MP, prisoners could be released from jails. “Actually, SAD and the Congress are not able to digest how a common man became the Chief Minister and now taking pro-people decisions for the welfare of Punjab,” he added.
Also lambasting SAD (Amritsar) candidate Simranjit Singh Mann, Mann said: “We advocate for love, peace, and brotherhood of Punjab. We are talking about saving Punjab's water and farmers and giving employment to the youth. However, he talks about bullets and swords. Violence do not benefit any society.”
The Chief Minister said that it has been only three months since AAP government was formed. “But in such a short time, the Government has taken myriad of historic decisions, which successive governments could not take in the last 75 years,” he said.
Reiterating his stand, Mann said that AAP government will make Punjab happy and prosperous again by eliminate corruption and mafia.
