Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh today claimed the farmers' manifesto by AAP was a "poor carbon copy" of the one by his party and alleged the outfit "lacked the confidence to commit anything".
"AAP has promised conditional loan waiver, while Congress had already promised unconditional loan waiver to the farmers. There are so many ifs and buts in the AAP manifesto, it portrays lack of confidence in the party to commit anything," he said.
Referring to other announcements in the AAP farmers' manifesto like bringing legislation to save farmers' land from being auctioned in case of loan default, confiscation of Badals' buses and providing these to the unemployed youth, Amarinder has already made these commitments long ago.
On AAP's claims that farmers' produce will be lifted within 24 hours of its arrival in mandis and payment will be made within 72 hours, the former Chief Minister said that he had already done it between 2002 and 2007 and the whole of Punjab in general and the farmers in particular know about it.
He also took a dig at AAP national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for "avoiding" any reference to the Sutlej Yamuna Link Canal issue, while "otherwise repeating everything" in the Congress manifesto.
"Doesn't it portray the lack of sincerity and commitment about the promises they made?" Amarinder asked.
Asserting that this is not only a battle of getting Punjab rid of the Badals and Majithia, he said, "It is an issue of Punjab, Punjabi and Punjabiyat which will not be allowed to be compromised by handing over the reins of the state to outsiders, who don't even know the 'P' of Punjab."
"Punjab is for Punjabis and I will not let any non-Punjabi rule over Punjab, come what may," Amarinder said, and slammed Kejriwal for announcing that Anandpur Sahib would be made a holy city if AAP is voted to power in the state.
Amritsar and Anandpur Sahab are already holy cities and this has been reported in the newspapers during the last few days of Kejriwal's stay in the state, he said.
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