"AAP has mortgaged Punjab," says Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu

Jalandhar (Punjab) [India], April 22 : Senior Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu on Saturday lashed out at Aam Aadmi Party and said that AAP has mortgaged Punjab.

The election commission has scheduled the Jalandhar Lok Sabha bye-election on May 10, and counting will be done on May 12.

Sidhu addressed a press conference with Congress candidates Karamjit Kaur and Mohinder Singh Kaypee.

At the conference, Sidhu showed a video of Aam Aadmi Party convenor Arvind Kejriwal at the gathering in which AAP leader Kejriwal is talking about the promises he made to the people of Punjab.

After showing the video, Sidhu said, "AAP has mortgaged Punjab. In today's time, people are feeling cheated. The Congress party had earlier said that all these people who are promising amenities free of cost, from where will the money come? Kejriwal said that people will come back to Punjab from abroad but their own children are outside."

Hitting out at AAP leaders, Sidhu said, "Earlier there were fewer drugs in Punjab, now after the coming of this (AAP) party, Punjab has become a sea of drugs. They have taken out a procession of the people of Punjab.

"We have seen in the rally held in Jalandhar that all the chairs were empty. With the coming of AAP, the sand trolley which was worth 3700 rupees is now being sold for 25-25,000," he added.

Highlighting Kejriwal's promise of saying that there won't be any 'dharna' in the state after AAP comes into power, Sidhu said, "AAP leader Kejriwal had said that after our government comes, there will be no 'dharna'. But till now people everywhere are sitting on dharna for their demands."

On the issue of electricity, Sindhu said, "Electricity will be provided round-the-clock in Punjab. Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) has taken a loan of 2300 crores after his government came."

The Congress party on Wednesday announced the list of its 40-star campaigners for the by-elections in the Jalandhar Lok Sabha seat.