DW BUREAU / Ferozepur

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday campaigned for AAP candidate Jagdeep Singh Kaka Brar from Ferozepur and appealed for ensuring the party's win on all 13 seats in the state to get adequate funds from the Centre.

During the roadshow, Mann slammed Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president and sitting MP from this seat, Sukhbir Singh Badal, saying he fled from the field because "he's afraid of losing. He knows that the people of Punjab will never give him another chance. That is why he has decided not to contest the elections". Mann said as a representative of Akali Dal, the Badal family was a part of the Central government many times, but "these people never raised their voice for the rights of Punjab".

"They always prioritised their personal interests and ignored the people of Punjab. Therefore, the public showed them their real place too."

Mann said "the BJP wanted to destroy the Constitution written by Babasaheb (B.R. Ambedkar)".

"This election is not just an election to elect the Prime Minister and MPs. This is an election to save the democracy and Constitution of the country. If the BJP wins this time, then there will never be elections in the country again. It will implement a single-party system in the country like Russia and China and will take away your right to vote. Therefore, it is important to defeat the BJP this time," the Punjab CM said.

"People here (in Punjab) never accept the politics of hatred. This time too, the people of Punjab will reject the politics of hatred and choose the politics of work."

He said that the BJP is afraid of the Aam Aadmi Party and Arvind Kejriwal.

"So, under a conspiracy, they arrested Arvind Kejriwal in a false case. They think that by arresting Arvind Kejriwal, they will stop the Aam Aadmi Party, but they are mistaken. Kejriwal is not just a person, he is an idea, a thought. They can arrest Arvind Kejriwal's body but how will they arrest his thoughts?" the AAP leader questioned.

Mann said after two phases of voting, it has become clear that the INDIA bloc-led government is going to be formed at the Centre and the Aam Aadmi Party will be an important ally of that government.

"So give me 13 more hands to strengthen us. All our MPs will raise their voice for the rights of Punjab in the Lok Sabha, then no one will be able to stop even a single rupee of our funds," Mann added.
(editor@dailyworld.in)