CHANDIGARH: AAP national convener and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal will visit Punjab on Saturday and join a teachers' dharna there, a party statement said on Thursday.
Notably, many teachers have been protesting for the past few months outside the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) in Mohali, demanding permanent jobs.
During his two-day visit to the poll-bound state earlier this week, Kejriwal had given "eight guarantees (promises)" to teachers for reforms in the education sector if his party was voted to power.
According to the party statement, the AAP leader appealed to his Punjab counterpart Charanjit Singh Channi to accede to the demands of the protesting teachers.
He said the teachers have been protesting for long, with some even protesting atop water tanks.
Kejriwal also warned the Congress-led government that if it did not address the issue of the protesting teachers immediately, he would be compelled to join the dharna of these unemployed teachers.
The northern state goes to polls early next year.
Punjab is witnessing the "Channi model" of governance, which stands for equal opportunities to all, Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi said on Thursday while terming AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal's "Delhi model" a "bundle of lies".
Channi made the assertion, deprecating the Delhi chief minister's model of governance while addressing a gathering in Moga during a function to unveil the statue of Maharaja Agrasen.
"This model is in unison with the teachings of the great Sikh gurus who have shown us the way of equality and brotherhood," said Channi.
He said his model aims at ensuring the wellbeing of the people and the holistic growth of the state.
No model other than "the Channi model can ensure holistic growth of the state", a state government quoted the chief minister as saying.
"The Delhi Model of Arvind Kejriwal is nothing more than a bundle of lies," Channi asserted while training his gun at the Delhi chief minister, who early this week had accused both the present and former Punjab chief ministers of suppressing the state Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu.
The Channi model is being implemented in the state for the progress and prosperity of its people, said the Punjab chief minister, adding that this model will be there till he is in office.
Channi said his model does not allow any one person or family to plunder the resources of the state.
"The Channi model is based on giving equal access to all for resources and opportunities in the state," he said.
He said he has already taken several path-breaking initiatives to benefit the masses while governing Punjab, "whereas Kejriwal and company are just making promises to them".
Addressing another gathering at Guruharsahai constituency in Ferozepur district, Channi announced giving Panje ke Utaar a sub-tehsil status, meeting a long-pending demand of the people of the constituency.
Channi also announced his government's decision to open an Industrial Training Institute to impart technical training to youths of the Guruharsahai constituency.
During his Ferozepur visit earlier, Channi had to face the ire of the members of ETT Teachers Union, Computers Teachers Union, Aanganwari workers, Bharti Kissan Union (Dakounda) who raised anti-government slogans while Channi was addressing the party workers from the stage.
The protesters were later whisked out of the venue by security personnel.