AAP industry manifesto lacks understanding, says Amarinder

Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh on Sunday, said AAP's industry manifesto was a "theatrical gimmick" which "lacked substance" and "was silent on several key issues".

"Bereft of any real understanding of issues facing the state's industry, Arvind Kejriwal has simply picked some of the promises made by the Punjab Congress," he commented on the manifesto released by AAP today in Ludhiana

The manifesto has ignored certain vital issues of the industry that has hit a all-time low in the Badal regime, he claimed.

"From reduction in power tariff to VAT reduction. Simplification, revival of sick units, new industrial township in Ropar and promises to end 'Mafia Raj', Kejriwal has simply picked up these points and packaged them in his industry manifesto," he said.

Even the promise to end power purchase agreements with private players is one of our old commitment, he added.

"One needs intelligence to even copy well. Kejriwal in a hurry to ape the Congress has forgotten to mention some key issues, like of small-scale industrial units that the Badal government has decided to shift out," he alleged.

"The manifesto promises regularisation of unauthorised colonies. The issue is an election gimmick because it has nothing to do with the industrial revival, which is an urgent requirement," he said.

The Congress had already promised to bring down the industrial power tariff to a competitive rate, Amarinder said, adding if the state can sell power to the national grid at Rs 3.40 per unit then it can also provide the same to industries.

"AAP's announcement of an industrial hub in Ropar is a straight lift from the Congress promise of developing the Kandi Belt Area (Ropar-Gurdaspur) as an industrial belt on priority basis," he said.

Virtually each of the 21 promises in the AAP manifesto has links to some or the other promise made by Punjab Congress, he claimed.

The AAP's Farm and Youth manifestos were also "duplication" of Congress promises, he said.

"Kejriwal has taken this strategy a bit too far with the launch of a Congress type Farm Debt Waiver campaign," he said.

The campaign is the last straw for him as he has been exposed before the people, he said, adding people will not be fooled "by such blatantly farcical tactics" of Kejriwal and company.