CHANDIGARH: Delhi’s Food Supply, Industry, and Environment Minister and BJP National Secretary, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, has accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of attempting to portray its leader and former Delhi Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal, as the ‘messiah’ of Punjab.
Addressing a press conference at the Punjab BJP office Sirsa, accompanied by state party leaders Fateh Jung Bajwa, state party leader, and Vineet Joshi, claimed that AAP, having lost its ground in Delhi, is now shifting its focus to Punjab. He alleged that the party is exploiting Punjab’s resources to sustain its political ambitions.
Without directly naming Kejriwal, Sirsa mocked his recent retreat, questioning the extensive security arrangements.
“One person has come here and is trying to gain control over Punjab. He, who once considered himself the owner of Delhi, is now not even a tenant there. Under the guise of a 10-day Vipassana meditation session, he is travelling in a cavalcade of 50 vehicles, including a bulletproof Land Cruiser, ambulances, a fire brigade, and 100 commandos. What kind of Vipassana is this? We are unable to understand,” he remarked.
He further claimed that speculation was rife regarding the true purpose of Kejriwal’s visit.
“There is a lot of talk going around. Some say that on the pretext of Vipassana, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann might be removed, while others believe this is a move to secure a Rajya Sabha seat for Kejriwal,” Sirsa alleged.
Taking a dig at the AAP government’s handling of Punjab’s drug crisis, Sirsa accused the party of inaction over the last three years.
“I am surprised, and you should take note too, that for the past three years, the government was sleeping while the drug problem reached its peak, even infiltrating schools. Now they claim to have taken strict action against drug abuse. But where were they all these years?” he asked.
Sirsa also questioned the recent crackdown on drug-related activities.
“Bhagwant Mann, you posted a photo of a JCB yesterday. But where was it for the past three years? They started this drive only after losing the Delhi elections. By suddenly taking action against the drug menace, they want to project Kejriwal as Punjab’s messiah, as if work has begun only after his arrival. This is Kejriwal’s game plan. I have come here to warn the people of Punjab—the people of Delhi have rejected him, now it is your turn,” he said.
Sirsa also urged Ludhiana voters to defeat AAP candidate Sanjeev Arora in the upcoming by-election for Ludhiana (West).
“Defeat Sanjeev Arora. Elect anyone else, but do not let Kejriwal take control of Punjab,” he appealed.
Calling Kejriwal a “power-hungry person who cannot live without power,” Sirsa alleged that he was planning to overthrow Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
“After getting badly defeated in Delhi, he tried to convince Punjab MLAs to elect him as their leader so that he could become Chief Minister. But the MLAs flatly refused, knowing that Punjabis would oppose them if they tried such a move,” he said.
He accused AAP of using Punjab’s resources to bolster Kejriwal’s image.
“To show Kejriwal as a messiah, Punjab’s resources are being wasted. Bhagwant Mann must answer—who is the Chief Minister, Mann or Kejriwal? When AAP lost the Delhi elections, I had already warned that Kejriwal would attempt this. That is why Punjab’s MLAs were summoned to Delhi,” Sirsa stated.
He further criticised the AAP government for its failure to tackle key issues in Punjab over the past three years.
“For three years, AAP ignored issues like drugs, corruption, and law and order. Now they want to act as if they have suddenly woken up. The message they are trying to send is that Mann has failed. They want to make it seem like Mann could not handle the law and order situation, the drug problem, and corruption. Now, Kejriwal and Sisodia have arrived, and only then has the work begun,” Sirsa claimed.
Dismissing rumours of a possible BJP alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), Sirsa clarified that his party would contest elections independently.
“We contested the 2022 Assembly elections and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections alone in Punjab. We will continue to fight alone in the future,” he asserted.