Chandigarh: A meeting of Aam Aadmi Party MLAs was held on Saturday (July 22) at Punjab Bhawan under the leadership of AAP state president, Bhagwant Mann, newly appointed Leader of opposition in Punjab Vidhan Sabha, Sukhpal Singh Khaira and Co-president Aman Arora. The leaders accused the Congress government of running away from its promises. Lok Insaaf Party leaders Simarjeet Singh Bains and Balwinder Singh Bains also attended the meeting.
AAP announces various state level activities in the coming days. Under this the party will organize a blood donation camp at Sunam on July 27 to pay tribute to Shaheed Udham Singh. All the state leaders will attend the function. After the function, all the leaders under along with Mann and Khaira will pay obience at Takht Sri Damdama Sahib and historic temple at Maisarkhana.
Addressing the media after press conference, Mann and Khaira accused Captain and Badals of favoring each other. The leaders said that AAP will continue to play the role of constructive opposition and will not let Congress and Badals to loot the state. Khaira said that AAP will expose the nexus of Congress and Badals. He said that the intentions of government to slap more texes on the state will not be fulfilled as AAP will oppose it inside and out of Vidhan Sabha.
AAP leaders informed that the party will hold a state level political conference on August 7 at Baba Bakal on the eve of ‘Rakhar Punya’ and a conference will be held on august 15 at village Isru to remember Shaheed Karnail Singh Isru. The meeting with the volunteers to decide the future course of action will be held under the guidance of Mann and Khaira.
Bhangant Mann said that Captain Amrinder Singh is running away from his promise of waiving off the loans of farmers resulting in more cases of farmer’s suicide in the state. He said that lakhs of youngsters are agitating on the roads demanding jobs but the government is busy appointing political people on lucrative jobs. He opposed the decision of appointing grandson of Beant Singh as DSP in Punjab Police on compensation grounds.
Sukhpal Khaira thanked all the MLAs and AAP Convener, Arvind Kejriwal for giving his the responsibility of LOP. He said that no other party in India follows democratic way of choosing its leaders as done in AAP. He accused Captain Amrinder Singh of being absent from the state affairs and said that the state is being run by the babus on their own terms. Khaira demanded that along with Sri Harimandir Sahib and Pingalwara all other social welfare institutes must be kept out of the GST. He demanded that a special committee must be formed to identify these institutes.
Aman Arora criticized government for unnecessarily raising the salaries of its adviser to near about double. He termed the move of finance minister to levy new taxes on residents as anti people and warned that AAP will not let it happen. LIP leader Simarjeet Singh Bains said that the opposition will play its role with full dedication and raise the voice of people in Vidhan Sabha.
The deputy leader of opposition, Saravjit Kaur Manuke, Senior leader Kanwar Sandhu, Baljinder Kaur and other MLAs were also present on the occasion.