Give just one chance to AAP; we’ve won the hearts of Delhi’s traders, we’ll win yours too: Arvind Kejriwal
AAP will completely eliminate Parcha Raj and take back all false notices sent to harass the businesspersons of Punjab: Arvind Kejriwal
Punjab’s businessmen are terrified of the government; are running out of the state: Arvind Kejriwal
Traders are extorted in the name of Gunda Tax; we will end this regime and protect the people of Punjab: Arvind Kejriwal
Till now government’s sucked out the blood of the traders; AAP will give them respect and a share in governance: Arvind Kejriwal
Seems like Congress is behind all the mishappenings in Punjab; if they’re not why has there not been any investigation yet: Arvind Kejriwal
Only the AAP can ensure peace and brotherhood in Punjab: Arvind Kejriwal
NEW DELHI/PUNJAB:
In the last leg of the Punjab poll-run, the Aam Aadmi Party has reached out to the business community of the state. AAP National Convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Shri Arvind Kejriwal assured the traders of delivering a thriving environment for them unlike the rest of the parties. He stated — AAP will exterminate Inspector Raj from Punjab; ensure a peaceful pro-business environment. Give just one chance to AAP; we’ve won the hearts of Delhi’s traders, we’ll win yours too. AAP will completely eliminate Parcha Raj and take back all false notices sent to harass the businesspersons of Punjab. Punjab’s businessmen are terrified of the government; they are running out of the state. Traders are extorted in the name of Gunda Tax; we will end this regime and protect the people of Punjab. Till now government’s sucked out the blood of the traders; AAP will give them respect and a share in governance. Seems like Congress is behind all the mishappenings in Punjab; if they’re not why has there not been any investigation yet. Only the AAP can ensure peace and brotherhood in Punjab.
AAP National Convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Shri Arvind Kejriwal is on a crucial Punjab visit prior to the polls. Today, he conducted a press conference at Mohali with AAP’s CM Face Sardar Bhagwant Mann. Post this they paid obeisance at the Sant Ravidas Temple in Jalandhar and conducted nukkad sabhas in the region. They went from nukkad to nukkad in the Jalandhar Cantt, Jalandhar North and Jalandhar Central regions seeking support of the people. Shri Kejriwal said, “The traders in Punjab are afraid of conducting their business here and are leaving the state. Today morning, the sitting mayor from Amritsar, Shri Karamjit Singh Rintu joined the Aam Aadmi Party and I believe that through this, AAP will gain a better stronghold in the city. I hope and pray that the people of Amritsar will vote for the Aam Aadmi Party in all constituencies, and lead us to victory. There has been a public demand to make Amritsar a ‘World Icon City’ for a long time now. Bhagwant Mann and I have deliberated over this goal and today, upon Rintu Ji’s joining, he shared with us that he has been working towards this goal. Hence, once the Aam Aadmi Party comes to power in Punjab, this demand that the public has made will be met. It is statistically known that everyday a population of one one lakh people flocks to Sri Harmandir Sahib, and almost twice as much on weekends. So all the required steps to attain this status of ‘World Icon City’ for Amritsar will be taken by the AAP government.”
He continued, “As Bhagwant Mann and I are going from town to town, village to village, we are discovering that not just the trading community, but every single person feels threatened in this system of ‘Parcha Raj’. They issue baseless notices in order to keep the people under their thumb. The environment that the current government has created is so hostile that when a journalist goes up to someone to ask whom they will vote for, the person is afraid to even disclose their political choice. The people worry that a notice will be issued against them, and hence prefer to cast a ‘silent’ vote. All false notices that have been issued in the past against traders and every other person in Punjab will be nullified once the Aam Aadmi Party forms the government here. We will eradicate this fear from the minds of the public, and help them flourish while conducting their businesses and running their households. This ‘Parcha Raj’ will hence be completely eliminated.”
He added, “I would especially like to address the grievances of the trader community in Punjab. They are also oppressed due to this Parcha Raj, baseless notices and extortions, unnecessary raid threats, and so on. ‘Gunda’ tax, ‘Jojo’ tax, and all such methods are kept in place to extort money from their community and threaten them. All of this will come to an end under AAP’s government. We will work towards helping the traders get rid of this fear. I appeal to this community that is unable to openly conduct its businesses out of fear that there’s merely 20 days left, please do not lose hope. Post that, there will only be a peaceful environment for you and your trade to thrive in. There is constant tension among people about the internal security of the state – that the distressing and terrorising period of history never repeats itself. The way that the Congress party has governed Punjab for the past 5 years, it has wreaked havoc on the state and its functioning and completely ruined the atmosphere. If the sacrilege in Bargadi had been investigated on time and the mastermind punished, no one would have dared sacrilege inside Harminder Sahib ji again. A bomb was detonated inside Ludhiana. The Congress appears to be the mastermind behind all of these incidents in some way. If this does not occur, it has been five years, and why has the Congress not completed the investigation?”
Shri Arvind Kejriwal said, “We want to reassure the people and business owners of Punjab that only an Aam Aadmi Party government can provide you with a government that promotes peace and brotherhood. Traders won’t have to be afraid of any leader or officer. Previously, the same atmosphere existed in Delhi. Officers used to go out and extort people. This money used to go all the way to the top. In Delhi, we have completely stopped this. I appeal to the traders of Punjab to call the traders of Delhi and ask. They also have their business in Delhi. You can call Delhi’s businessmen and ask if they ever had to pay the officers in Kejriwal’s government, before deciding whether or not to vote for the Aam Aadmi Party. We stopped Raid Raj and Inspector Raj inside Delhi. We will provide a good environment for traders in Punjab, just as we do in Delhi, and they will be able to work properly. Till now it was said that the business class of Punjab is the vote bank of Congress. I’d like to appeal to all traders to give the Aam Aadmi Party a chance and see what happens. Previously, it was claimed that all of Delhi’s traders are BJP vote banks. Today, the entire trader community has become the Aam Aadmi Party’s vote bank. We’ve won their love. I’d like to appeal to all Punjabi traders to give us a chance and see if we can’t win your heart in five years. We will resolve all of your issues. The issues that plague the traders are innumerable, and they are not limited to the Inspector and the Raid Raj. Bhagwant Mann will sit down with you and solve all of your problems. Traders will be given their share by our government. We held eight town hall meetings with traders to better understand their issues.”
He added, “Three or four days ago, Channi Sahib stated that Bhagwant Mann is losing his Dhuri seat by 20,000 votes. People in Dhuri told me that and Dhuri falls under the same MP seat Bhagwant Mann ran for in 2014. Bhagwant Mann had a 36 thousand lead in 2014. In 2019, he had a 32,000 vote lead .The people of Dhuri said yesterday they will ensure his victory with a shagun of 51 thousand lead this time. Bhagwant Mann will be victorious. Channi Sahib, take care of both your seats, because you are still losing from both of them.”
At the same time, AAP’s CM Face Sardar Bhagwant Mann said, “All the traders and businessmen are heading out of Punjab by closing their factories. These companies are going to other states such as Himachal, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh. It’s not that traders aren’t getting pollution certificates and aren’t getting land here. Only the government’s intention is lacking in this case. The government deliberately does not give the NOC to factories. Traders become so dissatisfied that they are forced to leave Punjab. Not only are these factories leaving Punjab, but thousands of jobs are also leaving the region. The traders simply want a place to conduct business. All they require is a place to work and peace. We will bring back the factories which have migrated from Punjab. Those people themselves also want to come back. Traders will come to Punjab, only then employment will come. If the Aam Aadmi Party government is formed, then the businessmen will be given a working environment like it is being given in Delhi.”