Replaced Amarinder as he was running govt on BJP's directions: Priyanka

Missing no opportunity to take a swipe at party's rebel and two-time Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Sunday said when he was at the helm he was running his government on directions of the BJP-led Central government.

Addressing her first state's election meeting in Kotkapura town for the February 20 Assembly polls, she said the previous state government was working on the directions of the BJP under a tactical understanding.

"This forced us to change that leadership (Amarinder Singh) in the state so that the state government operated from Punjab, and not from Delhi."

Amidst the cheering crowd, Priyanka, who was presented with a portrait of Sufi preacher Baba Farid, said the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also has the same agenda and plan to govern Punjab from Delhi on the direction of Arvind Kejriwal.

"Don't repeat the last mistake by supporting AAP now."

Without mincing words, the Congress leader, who after the election meeting took a stroll in agricultural fields to have a feel of rural Punjab, said AAP has emerged from the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh), the BJP's ideological offshoot.

"There is nothing in the name of educational and health care institutions in Delhi. It is important to know the truth about political parties and their leaders."

Just trying to woo the electorates in its party ruling state, she said since she is married in a Punjabi family and she can feel and understand Punjabiyat from her heart. "Punjabi never compromises on principles and it has been proved in the farmers' agitation at Delhi borders. That's Punjabiyat. My children have Punjabi blood."

"As the BJP came to power at the Centre by misleading the people in 2014, showcasing its Gujarat model, the AAP is also treading the same path by selling its Delhi model in Punjab to grab power. I want you not to get misled as both Gujarat and Delhi models exist only in advertisements," she said.

Emphasising that Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi is "a common man among you", she said, "I want to reiterate some promises of Channiji. The first decision he wants to take is to generate 10 lakh jobs in Punjab."

The 117-member Punjab Assembly will go to the polls on February 20, while the counting of votes will be taken up on March 10.

--IANS

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