AAP will do reasonably well in Haryana assembly polls: Naveen Jaihind
Undeterred by the performance of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the recent General elections in Haryana, its state party Chief Naveen Jaihind has begun the preparation for the state assembly elections. Often admired and even critiqued for his straightforward, aggressive speeches, Jaihind underlines the importance of struggle not only in politics but also in life. He is confident of his party workers with whom he works on the ground and to whom he encourages and motivates to make the citizens awaken of AAP is a new alternative in the state politics.
Speaking candidly to Millennium Post correspondent Piyush Ohrie on the host of issues, Jaihind admits that AAP is still new in the politics of Haryana and it would take time for them to get fully mature. Nevertheless, he puts the onus on the Haryana voters to be aware of the major problems plaguing the state caused mainly by the poor governance by the present and past state governments. He sounds confident when he highlights the works of the AAP government in Delhi and asserts that this is his party biggest strength.
Just like the previous elections, the odds are stacked against you. Many skeptics are not willing to give you a chance. In these challenging times how do you motivate your party workers and how are you garnering public support?
Our party workers understand the importance of struggle. We have arisen from a people's movement (India against Corruption) and have not forgotten our roots. We do not covet political posts instead we want to awaken the citizens of Haryana of how they have been failed repeatedly by the present and the previous government. We do not work with a defeated mindset. The AAP party worker understands the power of hope and the importance of the struggle.
Just look at the challenges of the state -- there is rising unemployment among the youth, the law and order situation is at its worse and the farmers have been cheated through Kissan Fasal Yojna.
There is no 24 hour supply of electricity and water and the moral and social fabric of the state has been damaged by a large number of liquor vending units that have been opened to intoxicate the unemployed youth of the state.
The works done by the AAP government in Delhi is our biggest strength. It is now for voters to decide that they will choose Kejriwal works or Khattar's failed policies.
Chief Minister on September 8 concluded Jan Aashirwad Yatra where he covered all the 90 assembly seats of Haryana. He claims it was a resounding success. How do you view the yatra?
The Jan Aashirwad Yatra became a Jan Shraap Yatra (Citizens curse journey) when an unemployed man tried to commit suicide. On September 8 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the rally, there were a large number of seats lying vacant in his rally.
Unemployment among the youth is the main area of concern for the party? What is your solution to tackling the problem?
There are three ways by which the problems can be tackled. First, there is a huge vacancy in government jobs in the state. These vacancies should have been immediately filled. Second, there has to be an avenue for new investment in the state that will create job opportunities for the youth. Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khatar may have boasted about various investment being brought in the state but on the ground there is nothing and as a result, there are no jobs. Thirdly, you have ensured corrupt practices, ineffectiveness, and delay in dispersing loans that have adversely affected the self-employment opportunities for the youth in Haryana.
You have also raised your voice against liquor vending that have come up in large numbers in the state. For a state that is facing a challenge of a huge debt of over Rs one lakh crores why are you trying to stop a major source of revenue for the government?
When you thought of Haryana it was doodh-dahi ka khana. It's not like that anymore. Rising unemployment and spare time have resulted in the huge demand for the liquor vending units much against the wishes of various womenfolk.
The revenue which the government gets in giving licenses gets wasted because of health problems, rising crimes and accident rates caused by increased consumption of liquor.
What are your views about the BJP Government's implementation of NRC if they come back to power again?
This is a tactic adopted by the ML Khattar government to deflect the attention of Haryana voters from the main issues.
The government should have released the white paper on the number of schools and hospitals they have opened that they have not done.
