NEW DELHI: Several Congress leaders on Saturday slammed the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab for allegedly re-releasing the cheque for Rs 25 crore, which the previous Congress government had already handed over Dera Ballan on December 31, 2021.
Deputy CLP leader and MLA Dr Raj Kumar Chabbewal said the the cheque to Dera Ballan had already been given by the previous Congress government and a part of payment from it had also been released. He said, “This is the same AAP government that had stopped the release of rest of the amount to Dera and now to evoke the sentiments of devotees of Dera to vote for them in the Jalandhar bypoll, the government has re-released the same grant to Dera Ballan.”
He further attacked the government saying, “This is not the only case but there are many other previous instances where the AAP government has shown its anti-SC approach. Despite so much hue and cry, the government has not issued appointment letters to the SC candidates for law officers at the Attorney General office. Recently, it had also reduced the number of members of Punjab State SC Commission.”
Phillaur MLA Vikramjit Chaudhary, who is son of Congress candidate Karamjit Chaudhary, also slammed the AAP leaders saying, “The AAP leaders have not just lied in the Vidhan Sabha but also from the pious stage at Dera Ballan that the previous government had only issued a cheque and made no actual payment. All this is factually incorrect and a foul play with the sentiments of the voters ahead of the elections.”
He further said, “The AAP leaders have said it from the stage that unlike Congress, they have been implementing what they have said. But the reality is otherwise. The AAP has not yet started doling out Rs 1,000 a month for the women of Punjab. It had announced setting up 16,000 mohalla clinics in Punjab but has in one year opened only 500, which is far too low a number”.
Sharing details of the announcements made by the then Punjab CM Charanjit Channi at the dera in December 2021, Congress leader Amritpal Bhonsle said, “Our leader’s plan was to set up a research centre on Guru Ravidass, his concept of Begumpura and the bani penned by him. Since he had little time, he had announced that 100 acres of land would be given for the purpose. He had announced Rs 50 crore but doled out a cheque of Rs 25 crore to the dera. Keeping the project held up for a year, the AAP government has re-announced it.”
He said, “The AAP government has done nothing in the case of Dr Pompesh suicide case. She took such a drastic step having faced caste slur but still her family is awaiting justice. The appointments of law officers from SC quota, Inspectors and ETOs etc are pending.”