Campaign Trail Malwinder Singh Kang: AAP’s constituency in-charge for 2 years, Kang out to shed ‘outsider’ tag
Sanjeev Singh Bariana
Chandigarh, May 25
“My son told me that you are a lawyer by profession. Why did you join the muddle of Indian politics?” asks a 60 -year old farmer, Sarwan Singh, from Malwinder Singh Kang, AAP candidate from the Anandpur Sahib constituency as he walks out of the Community Centre at Nanu Majra village in Mohali district after his interaction with a small gathering.
Provided 43K govt jobs to youth
We have given 43,000 government jobs to youngsters. If we got the pending grant of Rs 750 crore from the Centre, there would have been mohalla clinics all over the state by now. Malwinder Singh Kang, AAP candidate, Anandpur Sahib
Kang bends, touches his feet and replies with a smile, “Babaji! Mera taan fauj vicch selection ho gaya si. Afsar. Parr rabb ne tuhadi seva mere palle payee hai” (I was selected as an officer in the Army, however, I did not join. God has chosen me to serve you).
“I am convinced that the muck of Indian politics will be cleaned only when the youth of the country will decide to enter the arena,” said Kang, who is two-time former president of the Panjab University Campus Students Council.
Wearing a white kurta pyjama, which had crumbled during the hectic campaigning schedule, with a green turban and a yellow scarf around his neck, Kang arrives here in the late afternoon after attending corner meetings in Kailon, Saidpur, Gidderpur and Sambhalki villages, all in Mohali district.
His convoy of eight to nine cars carries a team of youngsters. One of the car displays loud speakers playing songs, lauding the rise of AAP.
Kang’s core team includes Ravinder Singh Dhaliwal, a fellow of PU senate, Navjot Saini, a former president of PU students’ union, Advocate Tejbir Zaildar, Advocate Parwinder Dhanoa, Abhishek Suti, singer Resham Singh Anmol, former PUSU chairman Navjot Saini.
Addressing his first gathering for the day at a paying guest house compound at Kailon village, Kang says, “My opponents are calling me an outsider in Anandpur. Just for record, I have been the constituency in-charge for my party for two years and have met residents in a number of villages.”
Talking about his predecessors, the AAP leader says, “Incumbent Congress MP Manish Tewari fears losing from Anandpur Sahib because he has no work to show during his tenure and has thus shifted to Chandigarh. The Shiromani Akali Dal candidate Prem Singh Chandumajra used the constituency funds to promote his elder son last time he had won.”
“Before Tewari, Ravneet Bittu, then a Congress MP, also ran away from the constituency as he had done nothing. Chandumajra and his party allowed the gangsters to prosper and led to a free flow of drugs in the area,” he adds.
Kang was accompanied by Mohali MLA Kulwant Singh at the gathering inside a dharmshala at Saidpur village. He says “We all need to watch out against the BJP’s attempt to crush minorities. The country stands on the verge of ‘dictatorship’ in case Narender Modi wins again. The entire country will suffer, however, Punjab will suffer more than others because the AAP government is like a thorn in its flesh.”
He further targets the BJP for allegedly making a mockery of inducting youth in the defence forces with the ‘Agniveer’ scheme, which would allow them to serve for just four years. “We will scrap the scheme,” the 45-year-old AAP leader asserts.
As the team was leaving the venue, 42-year old Paramjit Kaur, walks up to Kang, saying, “your government promised that our torn down homes will be repaired. It has been more than two years, but we are still living under a roof that is on the verge of collapse. I am not alone who is living in such condition in the village.”
Another youngster shouted from the crowd: “We all voted for you last time but our roads have not improved even a little bit. Not just our village, more than a dozen villages in our surroundings have roads that are badly damaged, due to which accidents have become frequent.”
Requesting anonymity, a senior citizen walking out of the venue, says, “We are not fools, who will listen to promises about roads every time without seeing any work. Now, they are giving the worthless excuse that the Central Government is not giving them any funds.”
Nanu Majra residents are demanding that the two transformers in their locality are immediately shifted elsewhere as these pose threat, especially to youngsters playing in the locality.
Talking to a small group of local residents before getting into his car towards Chau Majra village, Kang folds his hands and says, “Look at the improvement in education for the poor through the ‘Schools of Eminence’. At least 1.5 crore people have availed free medical services in the mohalla clinics started by our government. We have given 43,000 government jobs to youngsters. If we got the pending grant of Rs 750 crore from the Centre, there would have been mohalla clinics all over the state by now.”
Just as he enters his car, Kang says, “Cast your vote for someone who can raise your voice in the Parliament and not for deaf and dumb leaders, who don’t even speak for you. Don’t vote for me, if you are not convinced.”
