Reiterating that Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was like an "empty vessel which makes loud noise", Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today dared "Kejriwal & Co." to list even a single pro-people initiative taken by their government in Delhi.
AAP is a party of "hollow slogans and false promises", he said, adding nothing good for the state and its people can be expected from them.
Addressing a gathering at Sangat Darshan programme in Lambi assembly segment, the chief minister claimed, on record the AAP government in Delhi "had not fulfilled even a single promise" it made to the people during polls.
Badal said the Delhi government headed by Arvind Kejriwal has done "nothing for weaker and underprivileged sections" of society. But the SAD-BJP alliance government in Punjab has taken several pro-poor initiatives like Atta-Dal, pension, shagun, Bhagat Puran Singh Sehat Beema Yojana, Mai Bhago Vidya Scheme and others to safeguard interests of the poor.
Coming down heavily on AAP MP Bhagwant Mann for equating beneficiaries of the Atta-Dal Scheme with beggars, he said this reflected the parochial mindset of the AAP leadership.
It is every state government's bounden duty to take care of the underprivileged sections of society, he said, adding the SAD-BJP government was working towards welfare of masses.
The AAP leadership, however, lacked such sympathetic approach towards people and were vying for political power to enjoy its fruits rather than serving the people, he alleged.
Citing the example of Delhi Minister Sandeep Kumar, who was removed by AAP recently following a CD controversy, he said the incident has "exposed the real face" of AAP, which claims to be a party with high morals.
Badal demanded a criminal case against the sacked AAP minister and strict punishment for his misconduct.
Assailing the Congress for its "anti-Punjab" stance, the chief minister said, the people fo Punjab would never forgive this party for "hatching a conspiracy" to rob the state of its water by planning and executing construction of the Satluj Yamuna Link (SYL) canal.
Badal said every Congressman from Punjab owes responsibility for meting out this grave injustice.
"It is unfortunate that when the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had came to lay the foundation for SYL, Captain Amarinder Singh had enthusiastically welcomed it," he added.
Badal said even AAP was following the Congress' footprints by adopting an anti-Punjab stance.
He said an affidavit by the AAP led Delhi government in Supreme Court on the SYL issue had termed Punjab's stand as unconstitutional and anti-national.
To another query, Badal said villages within a 10-km
radius of the Indo-Pak border were evacuated following an advisory of Government Of India to prevent any loss of life.
He said the Punjab government had made "elaborate" arrangements at the relief camps for those who had to be moved there from their villages.
Earlier, addressing the gatherings at Ghonewala, Kot Razaada, Daoke, Bharopal, Chak Alla Bakhsh and a few other villages, the chief minister said his government was well aware of the hardships faced by the farmers of the border region in cultivating their crop.
He said, keeping in view the escalating tension at the border, his government was "duty-bound" to lift each and every single grain of the farmers.
Badal said he had already directed the Food and Civil Supplies department to make special arrangements to ensure quick procurement and lifting of grains from the region.
The chief minister said he, along with the top brass of his government, was regularly monitoring the arrangements at the relief camps.
