Punjab. (08:04): Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann joined the Aam Aadmi Party’s agitation against the imprisonment of their national convenor and Delhi CM, Arvind Kejriwal, in connection with the alleged Delhi liquor scam. Mann himself observed a one-day fast in protest against Kejriwal’s incarceration.
The Chief Minister expressed concern that the freedom attained by Shaheed Bhagat Singh and the Constitution crafted by Bhimrao Ambedkar are presently at risk.
Bhagwant Mann emphasized that the Aam Aadmi Party is combating against authoritarianism. He, along with numerous cabinet ministers and MLAs, visited Khatkar Kalan in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, the ancestral village of the freedom fighter Bhagat Singh. Mann highlighted that Bhagat Singh had apprehensions about the direction the country would take post-independence, fears that, according to Mann, have come true today.
Mann further shared anecdotes from elderly individuals who expressed that the British rule was preferable to the current situation. He accused the BJP-led central government of feeling threatened by the rapid progress of the Aam Aadmi Party, citing its government formations in two states within a decade, representation in Gujarat, Goa, Chandigarh, and a significant presence in the Rajya Sabha.
Mann asserted that the BJP aimed to silence voices opposing them, particularly that of Kejriwal. He praised Kejriwal for bringing ordinary citizens into politics and proclaimed him as an idea rather than just a person.
In response to criticism of the AAP government for displaying Kejriwal’s photo in its offices, Mann clarified that their government’s first decision was to exclude the CM’s photo from all Punjab government offices, instead displaying images of Bhagat Singh and Ambedkar to uphold the values of freedom and the Constitution.
Regarding PM Modi’s stance on corruption, Mann accused the BJP of sheltering corrupt individuals, using a metaphor of a washing machine to cleanse them before embracing them as BJP leaders. He questioned the need for Kejriwal’s arrest if Modi had such widespread support.
During CM Kejriwal’s event, Punjab ministers, AAP candidates, and party members were in attendance, demonstrating solidarity with Kejriwal and the party’s ideals.
