Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh lashed out at the "malicious propaganda" attributing certain anti-NRI statements to him, clarifying that his tag of "outsiders" was only for AAP leaders who did not belong to the state and the supporters brought in by Arvind Kejriwal to handle his party's poll campaign.
Amarinder said it was clearly an attempt to malign him ahead of the Assembly polls on February 4.
He was interacting with reporters here last night and responding to questions about certain reports doing the rounds on the social media alleging that Amarinder had denounced NRIs as aliens to Punjab and had vowed not to allow them to enter the state once he becomes the chief minister.
Dismissing the reports as "atrocious and blatantly fake", he said they were quite evidently being circulated by "vested interests" seeking to isolate the NRIs, "most of whom were staunch supporters of the Congress".
"Hundreds of NRIs have come to Punjab specially to campaign for the Congress in the assembly polls," he added.
The Congress' chief ministerial candidate expressed dismay at the level to which certain political parties and their leaders were "stooping in order to grab power in Punjab by hook or by crook".
"Many of us in Punjab have family members and relatives staying abroad for decades. Most of them shifted there for work. But there roots remain here, and they continue to be part of our families," Amarinder said, asserting that there was no question of even contemplating barring NRIs from entering their native land.
"The disinformation campaign had clearly been launched in an attempt to erode the NRI support base of the Congress but such attempts will not mislead the people," the PPCC chief said.
Observing that Congress had always worked for the welfare of the NRIs, Amarinder pointed out that the party manifesto included several provisions to protect the interests of the NRI community.
Amarinder said he is personally committed to ensuring fulfillment of all promises made to the NRIs in the manifesto.
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