Badals have ‘looted’ Punjab,will be held accountable: Kejriwal

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday upped the ante against the ruling Badals, alleging they have “looted” Punjab and will be held accountable for their “misdeeds” if AAP forms the government.

He also reiterated his charge that Congress was colluding with the Akalis to keep AAP at bay.

On the river water issue, Kejriwal at a press conference here said if AAP government is formed, it will strongly defend the rights of Punjab.

He, however, described the SYL canal issue as a “political issue” and said it needs to be dealt accordingly.

Hitting out at the ruling Akalis for “destroying Punjab”, the AAP national convener said, “for the first time, they are facing a outfit which is giving them a tough fight”.

He said that AAP wants Badals to bite dust at the electoral hustings so that they can’t enter the Vidhan Sabha even as the opposition MLAs.

“Against the Badals and (Badal family relative and Cabinet Minister Bikram Singh) Majithia, we have pitted our top leadership in the polls. It is not only important to put them behind bars for their misdeeds, but also to ensure their unholy feet don’t touch the Vidhan Sabha (as MLAs),” he said.

He said AAP has pitted party’s Delhi legislator Jarnail Singh against Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal from Lambi constituency, AAP’s Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann from Jalalabad to take on SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal and party’s senior leader from Punjab, Himmat Singh Shergill will take on Bikram Singh Majithia from Majitha assembly segment.

The Delhi Chief Minister alleged that a deal had been struck between Amarinder and Badal under a “tacit understanding”.

“Jarnail held an impressive roadshow and he is getting overwhelming support. Seeing the response, CM Badal approached Capt Amarinder Singh saying we took back cases against you, now you help us. Capt decided to fight from Lambi to divide the anti-Badal vote, which otherwise was going to Jarnail Singh,” Kejriwal claimed.