Amarinder Singh Raja Waring, the new president of Punjab Congress said, “Will the people of Delhi be made a puppet of Punjab? In what capacity and on what issue was this meeting held? CM Saheb make it public. The head was bowed, now the head was also bowed.” Have you taken it?” asked.
The AAP’s Punjab unit defended the meeting, saying there was nothing illegal if the party’s national convener and Delhi chief minister did so in the larger public interest. AAP spokesperson MS Kang said, “We take his guidance, so there is nothing wrong in it. Punjab and many other states go to Delhi to understand Kejriwal’s model of governance.”
Amid the opposition’s onslaught, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann met Kejriwal and took to Twitter to declare the meeting “fruitful” and said he would soon give “good news” to the people of Punjab. He also met President Ram Nath Kovind and Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu.
Responding to Mann’s tweet, Kejriwal said, “Together we will change Delhi, Punjab and the entire country.”
He said that people are troubled by the dirty and corrupt politics of politicians and political parties, but Aam Aadmi Party will work day and night for them. The Punjab cabinet is scheduled to meet on Wednesday, giving a green signal to AAP’s pre-poll promise of providing 300 units of free electricity every month to every household in the state.
Former Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu said the summoning of IAS officers by Kejriwal in Mann’s absence “exposes the real chief minister” and his attempt to remote-control Punjab. Sidhu said, “Clear violation of federalism, insult to Punjabi pride. Both should be clarified.”
Shiromani Akali Dal President Sukhbir Singh Badal called it “completely unconstitutional and unacceptable”.
Former Punjab Chief Minister and Punjab Lok Congress President Captain Amarinder Singh joined the criticism. He said, “Worst was anticipated, worst happened. Arvind Kejriwal has taken over Punjab much earlier than expected. Bhagwant Mann is a rubber stamp, it was already a conclusion, now Kejriwal has proved it right by presiding over the meeting of Punjab officers in Delhi.” “He tweeted.
BJP termed this move of Kejriwal as ‘grossly’ unconstitutional.
The BJP national general secretary said, “It was not only an insult to the officials of the state government, but also a shameful moment for Punjab that it would be run by another chief minister of Delhi.” Tarun Chugh said.
Senior BJP member Manoranjan Kalia wrote a letter to Governor Banwari Lal Purohit urging him to rein in the bureaucrats of Punjab and seek an explanation from the Chief Secretary. He said that if the chief secretary, being the administrative head of the state, “violates constitutional duties to please political masters, how can he stop the officers under him?”