Hindustan Times (Chandigarh)

BJP dividing people on religion, caste lines: Kejri

Aam Aadmi Party chief appeals youth to support his party in elections; promises jobs, better education and medical facilities

- HT Correspond­ent

KARNAL : Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday accused his Haryana counterpar­t Manohar Lal Khattar of dividing people on the basis religion and caste, and seeking votes on caste lines in the recently concluded mayoral elections in the state.

“They earlier divided jats and non-jats during the reservatio­n agitation in 2016 and now they were trying to divide punjabis and non-punjabis. The BJP’S mayoral candidate in Karnal had issued advertisem­ents in newspaper appealing the people of Punjabi community to vote for BJP, which has given a Punjabi CM,” Kejriwal said while addressing the AAP’S hospital and school rally here.

He alleged that the BJP was dividing people on the basis of religion and caste and “they were helping Pakistan, which was trying to divide India since 1947”. He said the people should not get misled by BJP in the coming elections.kejriwal said people of communitie­s and castes felt cheated after this advertisem­ent.

“We don’t have any objection if Khattar saab works only for Punjabis, but what was the fault of others who had voted for him?” he asked. However, Kej- riwal did not speak about the arrest of his party workers for allegedly circulatin­g fake news. He also slammed the successive government­s and political parties for failing to provide better education and medical facilities to people, even after 70 years of independen­ce.

“We made all government schools and hospitals in Delhi better only in out three-year rule, but these parties and previous government­s failed to do so in the past 70 years,“he said.

Kejriwal said the AAP government had done a lot for the people of Delhi and now he also wanted to work for the people of Haryana, which is his motherland.

“I appeal the youths of Haryana to support AAP in the upcoming elections. We would give you jobs, better education and medical facilities,” he added.

‘BJP USING POLICE TO SUPPRESS VOICE’

Party’s state president Naveen Jaihind accused the BJP government using police force to suppress voice of people.

“Khattar and his party had published an advertisem­ent in newspapers a day before the polling of MC elections on December 16, stating that the chief minister was a Punjabi. Now they are arresting our workers for sharing this informatio­n on social media,” Jaihind said.

He also challenged the BJP and Khattar to arrest him.

(Sushma is the minister of external affairs, but Modi doesn’t take her along on foreign trips),” he added.

“Modi should now listen to Mann ki Baat of people of the country, instead of telling his Mann ki Baat,” the Sangrur MP said.

LEADERS CONDEMN AAP WORKERS’ ARREST

Party’s state in-charge Gopal Rai and Haryana president Naveen Jaihind slammed the BJP government for arresting AAP workers for allegedly circulatin­g fake news about chief minister Khattar.

Rai said the CM should seek apology from the people of state for his advertisem­ent.

Jaihind said, “BJP leaders had told the people that the chief minister was a Punjabi and Punjabis should vote for BJP candidates in the MC elections, but now they have arrested our workers for sharing the same on social media.”

 ?? HT PHOTO ?? Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar (centre) at Gurdwara Manji Sahib in Karnal on Sunday.
HT PHOTO Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar (centre) at Gurdwara Manji Sahib in Karnal on Sunday.

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