DW BUREAU / CHANDIGARH The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today asked Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to apologize to Punjabis for launching a defamation campaign against them by holding them responsible for Delhi's pollution. The SAD said Kejriwal's defamation of Punjabis had cost the latter dear as they were heavily penalized and even had to face cases with the Congress government following Kejriwal's lead instead of providing any alternative to reduce stubble burning. "This twin attack on the innocent farmers of Punjab led by Kejriwal and supported by the Congress government in the State was aimed at painting our farmers as villains when the truth is completely different", said SAD Spokesman Dr Daljit Singh Cheema. In a statement here, he said after it had become clear that most of the air pollution in Delhi was caused by the industrial and transport sector and that stubble burning only contributed a tiny four to ten per cent to this pollution, Kejriwal owed an apology to the farmers of the State. "The Congress government also owes an apology for taking the lead from Kejriwal and victimizing farmers instead of providing alternatives to reduce air pollution, a fact which was also pointed out in the Supreme Court today". Dr Daljit Cheema said Kejriwal had been thoroughly exposed by the Supreme Court today for mouthing lies about farmers being responsible for Delhi's air pollution. He said the apex court had also rightly pointed out to the politics being played on the issue of pollution by Kejriwal by highlighting how public money was being spent on popularity slogans. "It is also a fact that the Delhi government could not enumerate the steps it had taken to improve the quality of air in Delhi". Dr Cheema said the clear indictment of the Kejriwal government had exposed the modus operandi of the AAP government which was doing nothing but spending hundreds of crores on advertisements to create an illusion of doing work. The Akali leader said Kejriwal was a habitual liar. "He always indulges in double speak. He says one thing in Punjab and the other in Delhi. Whenever he comes to Punjab he gives the impression of being 'kisan hitaishi' but the moment he goes back to Delhi he works against their interests. We have seen this in the case of the Satluj Yamuna Link (SYL) canal issue. We have also witnessed how Kejriwal tried to force the closure of four private thermal plants in Punjab to put Punjab in darkness as part of a political conspiracy against its people. Now we have witnessed the exposure of Kejriwal's lies of Punjab farmers being the villains who were polluting Delhi". (editor@dailyworld.in)