Kejriwal promises PESA implementation if voted to power in C'garh

Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said his party would implement the Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act in tribal-dominated areas of Chhattisgarh if voted to power in the upcoming assembly elections.

Addressing a rally in the Bastar district headquarter Jagdalpur, around 300 km from here, Kejriwal slammed the BJP, saying celebrations were underway at the saffron party's headquarters in Delhi when the sad news of the martyrdom of Army officers in Anantnag trickled in.

He also hit out at the BJP over the "India vs Bharat" debate and the 'one nation and one election' agenda.

We guarantee that if AAP is elected to power in Chhattisgarh, PESA will be implemented within a month of the formation of the government in the interest of tribals and to protect their 'jal, jungle, and zameen' (land). All rights will be given to the gram sabha, the Delhi chief minister said.

PESA empowers Gram Sabhas to manage the affairs as per local traditions and customs. The Sabhas can approve plans, programmes and projects for social and economic development, and have the right to mandatory consultation in land acquisition, resettlement and rehabilitation of displaced persons.

The act also empowers Gram Sabha and Panchayat at the appropriate level to regulate the sale/consumption of intoxicants, ownership of minor forest produce and other affairs.

Kejriwal had last month released a 'guarantee card' in Raipur detailing nine promises and said the 10th guarantee is about farmers and tribals which he would reveal during his next visit.

At the beginning of Kejriwal's speech on Saturday, a two-minute silence was observed as tributes were paid to three Army personnel and a Jammu and Kashmir police officer who all were killed in the line of duty during an encounter with terrorists in Anantnag.

"Despite the sad news of the martyrdom of three Army officers, the BJP was busy with the 'jashn' at the party headquarters in Delhi. The entire country was pained to see this. Another painful thing is that PM Modi neither spoke a word on the martyred jawans nor tweeted," he claimed.

Kejriwal dared the BJP to change the name of India and said the common people would chase the saffron party out of the country.

"This nation does not belong to your father. It belongs to 140 crore people in the country. If you try this (changing the name of the country), these 140 crore people will chase you out of the country," he said.

He alleged the BJP became frustrated and spoke about renaming the country Bharat when 28 opposition parties formed an alliance and named it INDIA.

"If the name of the alliance is changed to Bharat, will they (the BJP government) change the name of Bharat? Kejriwal asked.

He further said the country doesn't want "one nation, one election but it needs 'one nation, one education'".

Kejriwal referred to Shah Rukh Khan's dialogue in 'Jawan'. "He says in the movie that instead of voting for caste and religion, question the vote-seekers what they will do for education and health of people".

The AAP is the only party in the country which tells you what it would do for education, health and other basic facilities, the AAP national convener said.

Kejriwal said the people of Chhattisgarh will forget the two parties (the BJP and Congress) if AAP gets the opportunity to run the state.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann was also present.

The AAP drew blank in its maiden contest in the Chhattisgarh assembly elections in 2018. None of the 85 candidates of the Kejriwal-led party could save their poll deposit then.