Sukhbir's allegation on foreign funding baseless: AAP

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) today hit back at Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on the issue of its funding, saying his allegations were "baseless" and it was open to a probe.
"We (AAP) urge Prime Minister (Narendra Modi), Home Minister (Rajnath Singh) and Sukhbir Singh Badal (who also holds portfolio of state's home affairs) to get the issue of funding to AAP probed by any agency," Punjab's AAP political affairs in-charge Sanjay Singh said here.
"If anything is found against AAP on the funding issue, action must be taken against us, but if nothing is found then Sukhbir should resign," he said, adding, "He appears to be more as a comedy minister then a home minister. He gives baseless statements," Sanjay said.

Sukhbir had recently requested Rajnath to initiate a probe into the funding of AAP allegedly by "extremist elements abroad" which aims to destabilise the state ahead of assembly elections next year.
The deputy chief minister, in a letter to Singh, had requested him to launch an immediate investigation into the "huge amount of money" being received by AAP from "radical elements residing in North America, Europe and Australia".
"A thorough investigation into the money trail would unravel and expose those trying to disturb the hard won peace of Punjab through incidents of sacrilege and violence," Sukhbir had claimed.

Rejecting his claims, Sanjay said AAP is a secular party and "respects all religions".

Launching a frontal attack on Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia, he said the latter was "forcing" youths to consume drugs.
"Majithia should be in jail," he demanded.
Sanjay exuded confidence that AAP will win over 100 assembly seats in Punjab out of the total 117.
He rejected claims that "division" is taking place in AAP in Punjab, saying "party is united".
Sanjay said the party had decided not to make any comment on AAP's former Punjab convenor Sucha Singh Chhotepur till the two-member probe panel submit its report on allegations of bribe against the party leader.
On Punjab government's decision to distribute utensils to the poor, AAP's Punjab MP Bhagwant Mann said how come Akali Dal has now realised to do so.

"They (Akali Dal) are talking about distributing utensils, but what about providing food to the poor," he said.
"AAP government would restore the old pension scheme for
state government employees," Kejriwal said.
Pointing out that during an interview Amarinder had said he lost 2007 and 2012 Assembly elections as he had not made false promises to people, the AAP leader asked, "Is this the reason why you are making so many promises which you can't fulfill."
Claiming that Navjot Singh Sidhu is the "undeclared chief ministerial candidate" of Congress, Kejriwal said, "Sidhu had refused to join AAP when we denied him the Deputy Chief Minister's post. It is a fact that he had decided to support Congress after he was promised CM's post."

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi was "annoyed" with Amarinder and would "dump" him after using him for campaigning, Kejriwal claimed.
The AAP national convener also questioned Amarinder for his decision to compete polls against him.
Kejriwal said, "Why he is so keen to contest against me and not against Badals or Majithia. I am not selling drugs, it is Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia who was involved in drug racket.
"We are fighting against the Badal family and Majithia because defeating them is more important so AAP has fielded strong candidates against Parkash Singh Badal, Sukhbir Singh Badal and Bikram Singh Majithia," he said.

Kejriwal alleged that Amarinder used his influence with Congress chairperson Sonia Gandhi to save Majithia from CBI in 2013 when he was about to get arrested in a drug case.
"I will advise Amarinder Singh to be loyal to people of Punjab rather than his nephew Bikram Majithia," he said.
Replying to a question, Kejriwal said AAP will give the Chief Minister's to a person who will wake up at 5 in the morning and work till 10 in the night and will be available to public all the time.
"Amarinder Singh didn't meet anybody after 6 PM," the AAP convener said.