In a significant political gathering in Ludhiana, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann met with the party's newly elected zila parishad and block samiti members. The leaders declared that Punjab has decisively moved past an era characterized by fear, strong-arm tactics, and rigged elections.
A Mandate for Clean Politics and a New War on Crime
Pointing to the party's sweeping victory of over 70% seats in the recent panchayat polls, Kejriwal stated this was a clear public mandate for clean politics and honest governance. He asserted that Punjab had just witnessed the cleanest local body elections in its history, where not a single vote was shifted through manipulation.
Building on this mandate, the AAP government announced it will now launch a full-scale war against gangsters, modelled on the lines of its ‘Yudh Nashean Virudh’ campaign. Kejriwal launched a sharp attack on the previous political regimes, accusing them of deep complicity in the state's drug and crime crisis.
Ending the Era of Fear and Political Patronage of Crime
"They spread drugs all over Punjab. Who sells drugs? Whether it is one party or the other, it is their uncles, brothers, sons-in-law who are selling drugs, indulging in crime, and running gangs. They openly give tickets to gangsters," Kejriwal alleged. He emphasized that AAP came to power to cleanse this system, even at great personal risk, referencing his own imprisonment.
Reflecting on the past, Kejriwal said that during the Akali Dal and Congress rule, Punjab lived in an atmosphere of fear with rampant false cases. "We ended that atmosphere. The culture of jhoothe parche (false cases) and goondagardi has been finished," he claimed, adding that reports of brutality against Dalits, once routine, have been successfully curbed.
Advice to New Leaders and a Warning Against Arrogance
Addressing the newly elected representatives, Kejriwal called them crucial to Punjab's future and set a target of increasing the party's vote share from 38% to 45% in the next election. "You must go from village to village, meet people with folded hands, without arrogance. Arrogance destroyed Akali Dal and Congress. If you become arrogant, the same will happen to us," he warned.
He advised them to serve people in both official and personal difficulties, acting as a brother or son to constituents. Issuing a stern warning, Kejriwal said, "If you become arrogant, if you start focusing on making money or indulge in corruption, your political life will be finished forever." He also hinted that the next chief minister of Punjab after Bhagwant Mann could be among those present in the hall.
In a notable aside, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann affirmed his commitment to the Akal Takht, stating he would appear before it as a humble Sikh, its command being supreme. He confirmed his presence there even during President Droupadi Murmu's visit to Guru Nanak Dev University in Amritsar.
Meanwhile, AAP Punjab in-charge Manish Sisodia assured that there would be no shortage of funds for rural development, signaling the government's focus on strengthening grassroots infrastructure following the panchayat poll success.
