AAP is ‘secretly allied with BJP’, says Akali Dal

A day after Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann campaigned in Haryana, where the Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress are contesting together as Indian National Development Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) partners, the Shiromani Akali Dal on Monday hit out at the AAP, terming it an “opportunist” party. 

SAD leader and former Minister Bikram Singh Majithia termed the AAP ‘opportunist’, saying the party has aligned with both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP), and hence can’t be trusted to safeguard Punjab’s interests. “While Mr. Bhagwant Mann is in an open alliance with the Congress as a partner of the India alliance and even campaigned for Congress candidate Ashok Arora in Haryana, he is secretly aligned with the BJP also,” said Mr. Majithia, during the party’s ‘Punjab Bachao Yatra’.

Also Read | AAP, Akali Dal hit the ground in Punjab as electioneering heats up

“How can the AAP fight the Congress in Punjab while Mr. Mann is staring the stage with top Congress leaders and even campaigning for the Congress in Haryana. A vote for AAP is a vote for the Congress and vice versa. Punjabis should boycott both parties as both parties are in an unholy alliance to befool Punjabis,” he said.

On Monday, Mr. Mann participated in a roadshow in Kurukshetra campaigning for Dr. Sushil Gupta, AAP candidate for the Lok Sabha poll. Workers and supporters of the AAP and Congress party participated.

Also Read | With nothing to lose, Akali Dal banking on panthic agenda

Meanwhile, the AAP held a meeting to discuss Lok Sabha election strategies for Punjab. The meeting was chaired by Mr. Mann, AAP’s national secretary Sandeep Pathak, and Sanjay Singh among others.

Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Cheema said the leaders deliberated on how to keep every household in Punjab informed about the government’s policies, decisions, and work. They also discussed ways to keep people in the know of how the BJP is misusing the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to undermine democracy.