AAP launches ‘Jan Chetna Yatra’ against corruption

Saturday, 16/05/2015

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AMRITSAR: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) commenced its ‘Jan Chetna Yatra’ to expose “corrupt” deeds of the SAD-BJP government before the people of Punjab, while projecting AAP as the only party that could rid Punjab of the “mafia raj” of the Badals.

Aam Aadmi Party Punjab in-charge Sanjay Singh and state convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur, along with party workers, during the launch of the ‘Jan Chetna Yatra’ at Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar on Friday.

Raising slogan — ‘Beimaan Bhajao, Punjab Bachao’ (Get rid of the corrupt and save Punjab) — AAP volunteers led by Punjab convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur and national secretary and Punjab in-charge Sanjay Singh took a vow at the historic Jallianwala Bagh to get rid of the corrupt SAD-BJP government and then set off on the yatra. The AAP also used the occasion to send a clear warning to the SAD-BJP alliance and the Congress of the arrival of a “third force” in Punjab.

Slogans such as ‘Dilli ke baad, ab Punjab ki bari hai’ (After Delhi, it’s Punjab’s turn now) rented the air as AAP workers jostled with each other to get atop vehicles. Many of them had come all the way from Delhi to participate in the yatra, which will cover all districts of Punjab before ending at Anandpur Sahib on May 23 — during the 350 years’ foundation celebrations of the historic town.

Addressing the media at the start of the yatra, Sanjay Singh said the aim of his party was to expose the misdeeds of the Badal government. Punjab had become poorer while the Badals and their relatives had become richer, he added. Pointed to the Moga bus tragedy, the AAP leader said there were no words to condemn the incident. It was a shameful incident that had lowered the head of every Punjabi, he added.

Chhotepur added, “At the cost of the state, the Badals have promoted their family business interests. This is the sewa that chief minister Parkash Singh Badal talks of.” The Punjab convener reiterated that the mass contact programme was not only to make people aware of the misdeeds of the state government, but also to get feedback on different issues.

‘NEXT TARGET IS PUNJAB’
Chhotepur admitted that the yatra was a part of the AAP’s agenda for Punjab, which goes to the polls in 2017. “After Delhi, our next target is Punjab,” he added, while indicating that Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal too had made it clear.

FRICTION COMES TO FORE
Though Chhotepur denied any friction in the Punjab unit of AAP, the absence of some of the senior leaders from the yatra told a different story. Dr Daljit Singh, who was the party’s candidate from the Amritsar Lok Sabha seat, arrived just when the yatra was about to commence. In fact, he kept himself in the background and left as soon as the yatra commenced. His differences with Chhotepur are well known.

Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann could also not join the yatra at the start, but he came along when the yatra reached Majitha road. When asked about the absence of party MPs, Chhoetpur clarified that they would be joining the yatra in their respective constituencies.