Drawing flak for Bhagwant Mann's meeting with UK Sikh MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, AAP releases his photos with BJP leaders
Ruchika M. Khanna
Chandigarh, April 18
Having drawn criticism for a meeting of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann with UK MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi last week, the Aam Aadmi Party on Monday hit out at the BJP, releasing pictures of Dhesi’s meetings with various BJP leaders, including two ministers in the BJP-led Union cabinet.
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The party took to social media to hit out at the BJP, questioning the party over its double standards for criticising Mann over his meeting with Dhesi, while its own ministers – Hardeep Singh Puri and Som Prakash had earlier held meetings with the UK Labour Party MP.
Pictures of former union minister Vijay Sampla and BJP ally and Punjab Lok Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh, meeting Dhesi have also been released.
Interestingly, Minister Puri, subsequent to this meeting with Dhesi in the past, had said he “regretted meeting him and if he knew of his views (on Article 370), there would have been no meeting”.
Over the past few days, various leaders of the BJP had criticised the AAP for the meeting, alleging Dhesi of endorsing “pro-separatists and anti-India views”.
The charges had been vehemently denied by the UK MP, who has alleged that he was being targeted and people were trying to malign him because he spoke for the human rights of farmers. He had also said that he spoke up for the marginalised sections around the world, including Hindus and Christians of Sri Lanka, Kashmiris and Palestinians.
Meanwhile, AAP spokespersons Neel Garg and Malwinder Singh Kang and party MLA Jeevan Jyot Kaur, hit out at the BJP for its double standards on the issue. They also claimed that the attack on AAP on this issue showed that the BJP was insecure because of the party gaining momentum under Arvind Kejriwal.
