AAP Tightens Its Belt In Punjab

Punjab’s political turf continues to be as volatile as ever. The Delhi Assembly results in favour of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are a wake-up call to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leadership as it will have ramifications on the party.

Observers point out that the party was pedaling the Punjab model of governance in Delhi where it faced a debacle. Skeptics point out that if the Punjab model did not sell in Delhi what is the guarantee that it will sell again in Punjab where people are constantly looking for a change.

Secondly, party sources point to the possibility of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann emerging out of the shadows of his party chief Arvind Kejriwal to become a stronger leader within the party in Punjab.

Perturbed by the Delhi debacle and the criticism coming its way on the non implementation of the promises made ahead of the Punjab assembly polls in 2022, AAP is doubling over with assurances of good governance.

Vehemently pointing to Punjab’s case before the Ravi Beas Water Tribunal, Mann has reiterated that Punjab does not have a single drop of water to share with other states and underlined the need for a reassessment of availability of water as per international norms.

With the drug menace continuing unabated the government is now talking about formulating a comprehensive Mental Health Policy in the state.

The government tried to make a statement on its claims of transparency, accountability and integrity in public service delivery by taking action against police personnel for their alleged involvement in corrupt practices, malpractices, criminal activities or prolonged absenteeism.

State Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav has claimed that the Punjab Police is all set to introduce e-FIR facility for motor vehicle theft and an e-Police Station is being established at the state level. “We will also request Hon’ble High Court through the state government to get the E-Courts notified in each district,” he added.

The AAP leadership has launched a sustained attack on the BJP government at the centre over the shackling of the Indian deportees from the United States, and for facilitating the landing of the US military aircraft in Amritsar instead of Ahmedabad or Delhi. Both parties are in a slanging match on this.

Meanwhile, the AAP government in a move to deflect the charges of failing to curb illegal immigration from the state has launched a crackdown on fraudulent immigration consultants exploiting innocent individuals. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Punjab Police headed by ADGP NRI Affairs Praveen Sinha has registered 15 FIRs while arresting three persons on this count.

Meanwhile, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) continues to have its cup of sorrows filled to the brim even as its leadership tries desperately to revive its electoral fortunes. The recent storm in the Panthic cup has added to its woes as there is a tussle underway to control the Sikh religious institutions.

The Akalis have held sway over the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC). But things have hit a rough patch for the party ever since the Akal Takht awarded religious punishment to former president Sukhbir Singh Badal and others for the mistakes that were committed during the decade old rule from 2007 onwards.

Matters took a new turn when the SGPC sacked Takht Damdama Sahib head Giani Harpreet Singh over allegations pertaining to a domestic dispute. This sacking drew a sharp reaction from Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh who called the act highly condemnable, saying it would undermine the autonomy of the five Takhts.

This led to the resignation of SGPC chief Harjinder Singh Dhami on ‘moral grounds’. Adding to the chaos is now the resignation of former SGPC chief Kirpal Singh Badungar from a committee set up by the Akal Takht to oversee the current membership drive of the Akali Dal and the election of the party’s office bearers.

Meanwhile a high level delegation of the SAD met Dhami and appealed to him to continue serving as the SGPC president. Party leader Dr Daljit Singh Cheema said the delegation met Dhami to understand the circumstances under which he had tendered his resignation. “It is clear that Dhami chose to resign due to mental agony. He has taken a few things to heart due to which he resigned all of a sudden. We have on our part assured Dhami that the party is with him and that the Panth needs his leadership at this crucial juncture,” he said while adding that the SAD was keen to resolve the entire issue pertaining to Dhami’s resignation.

To add to the miseries of the Akali Dal, the supporters of the Khadoor Sahib Lok Sabha member Amritpal Singh who had donned the radical mantle in Punjab recently launched a new political outfit Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De). Amritpal remains lodged in Dibrugarh prison for now facing charges under the National Security Act (NSA). He has moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court to be allowed to attend the Parliamentary proceedings. He has stated that the denial of the authorities amounts to violation of human rights. It has been reported that his seat might fall vacant if he fails to attend Parliament for 60 consecutive days.

Amidst all this is a window of opportunity for the Congress that was upstaged by the AAP in the last assembly polls. The two had fought the Lok Sabha polls separately outside the ambit of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA).

The question still remains whether the people still retain the trust deficit visible against the Congress and the Akalis in the recent polls. The Congress is hammering away at the AAP leadership. Leading the charge is the former state unit chief and leader of opposition in the state assembly Partap Singh Bajwa.

In a fresh assault he has written to Governor Gulab Singh Kataria calling for an Enforcement Directorate or a High Court judge led probe into ‘alarming allegations of corruption and extortion perpetrated by the AAP led Punjab government’.

“It is imperative that these serious accusations be thoroughly investigated by an impartial body to uphold the integrity of our democratic institutions and to ensure justice prevails,” he said while referring to an alleged scam involving the misuse of government machinery to extort party funds from officials of the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL). “This egregious act of corruption allegedly served the sole purpose of funding the recent Delhi Assembly Elections, corroborated by the Election Commission’s raid at Kapurthala House a few days before the scheduled elections,” Bajwa has written.

Amidst all this remains the speculation of the Akalis and the BJP joining hands once again.