Kejriwal praises Navjot Sidhu, claims both Capt Amarinder and Punjab CM Channi tried suppressing him

Amritsar, November 23

AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday praised Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu for “raising” public welfare issues but claimed that he has been facing suppression from both the present and former state chief ministers.

On a two-day visit to Punjab, the Delhi chief minister also claimed that about 25 Congress MLAs and two-three MPs from the state are in touch with his party, seeking to join it, but, he said, “We do not take garbage from other parties.”

“I praise Sidhu for his courage,” Kejriwal said, adding the Punjab Congress president had “corrected” state Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi when the latter claimed that sand was being sold to the public at Rs 5 per cubic feet.

“Sidhu told the chief minister that it was still being sold at Rs 20 per cubic feet,” said Aam Aadmi Party’s national convener Kejriwal.

He said Sidhu has always been raising issues of public interest, but he was earlier suppressed by former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh and is now being suppressed by Channi.

“Sidhu has been raising people’s issues, but earlier Capt Sahab and now Channi is trying to suppress him,” the AAP supremo claimed.

Kejriwal also hit out at Channi, who became chief minister in September after the unceremonious exit of Amarinder Singh, alleging that he has not fulfilled till now any of his promises to people, like that of giving free electricity or building mohalla clinics.

On being asked about a couple of Punjab’s AAP leaders joining the Congress ahead of the state assembly polls, Kejriwal shot back, “About 25 Congress MLAs and two-three of their MPs are in touch with us to join our party”.

“Many from the Congress are also in our contact, but we don’t take their kachra (garbage). If we start taking their kachra, 25 of their MLAs will join our party by evening, but we don’t have to get into this competition”. PTI