June 10 (Punjab Khabarnama) : After AAP MLA from Amritsar Central constituency Ajay Gupta accused Bhagwant Mann’s government of failing to eradicate corruption and drug addiction from the state, Chief Minister Mann calmed his anger by talking to him over the phone. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann pacified him and assured that all his points would be heard carefully to improve the functioning of the party and the government and would also be discussed in the upcoming meeting soon.
Ajay Gupta had expressed his anger during the party meeting held at a private resort. The meeting was attended by Cabinet Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, who contested from Amritsar Lok Sabha seat, and Attari MLA Jaswinder Singh, among others.
MLA Gupta said that while the AAP government came to power with the promise of change in governance, the government has miserably failed to fulfill its major election promises of eradicating corruption and drug addiction in the state. He said that a lot of irregularities have increased in the state since the last two years. Citing the example of one of his businessman friends, he said that for his personal work related to a government department, the officials had asked him to pay Rs 1 lakh. The businessman approached an MLA to stop this, but eventually had to pay a bribe of Rs 5 lakh.
The video of his speech went viral on social media. Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal and Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring also tweeted it. He said that he would work only after the dignity of AAP workers is restored in government offices including police stations. He said that AAP workers are humiliated in government offices. Officers do not even give them chairs to sit. He said that the influence of Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal leaders still dominates police stations.
He clearly said that he would not work until the dignity of Aam Aadmi Party officials is restored in government offices. He said that there is a need to investigate the reasons for the party’s defeat in the Lok Sabha elections. He said that the party came to power in the last assembly elections (2022) on the promise of ‘change’. After two years, the party has lost its credibility among the people, as it faced defeat in 60 of the 92 assembly constituencies of its MLAs. He categorically warned that with the current style of functioning, the party will not be able to win the 2027 assembly elections.
Gupta said that raising his voice against his own government was in public interest and aimed at bringing reforms in the party. He said that his demands should not be linked with any other leader.