‘Optics exercise': Bajwa says shortly after AAP MLA Raman Arora's arrest
Following Arora's arrest, Bajwa accused the AAP-led Punjab government of being knee-deep in corruption while attempting to save face with hollow gestures.
The Punjab Vigilance Bureau on Friday arrested AAP MLA from Jalandhar Central Raman Arora for allegedly indulging in corruption in connivance with an official of the Jalandhar Municipal Corporation.
Chandigarh, May 23 (PTI) Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Partap Singh Bajwa on Friday slammed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) after the arrest of ruling party MLA Raman Arora, calling it another elaborate 'optics exercise' aimed at misleading the people of Punjab.
'This is nothing more than a desperate attempt to revive the party's plummeting image,' Bajwa said.
'After trying to hoodwink the public with gimmicks like 'Shiksha Kranti' and 'Yudh Nasheyan Virudh', Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is now attempting to portray himself as a crusader against corruption. But the truth is, no meaningful action will ever follow and no one will actually be convicted,' Bajwa said in a statement.
About Arora's arrest, Bajwa noted that this is not an isolated incident.
'This isn't the first time AAP MLAs and ministers have been named in corruption and extortion cases. Rather than pursuing legal action, the AAP government has routinely buried such cases to protect its own,' he alleged.
Taking a dig at AAP's public posturing, Bajwa questioned, 'If the party had prior knowledge of Raman Arora's alleged misdeeds, why was no action taken before? This so-called 'Kattar Imaandaar' party is anything but honest. It's all a facade designed to deceive voters.' The senior Congress leader pointed out that this latest move is just another failed attempt by AAP to project itself as a clean and accountable party.
'Since coming to power in 2022, CM Mann's government has failed to act decisively even in cases where allegations were clear. Take the case of former health minister Vijay Singla, accused of corruption — no action has been taken and he remains active in party affairs,' Bajwa said, claiming that many other Punjab AAP leaders have faced serious allegations.
'Yet, the AAP government's so-called zero-tolerance stance against corruption has remained just a slogan,' he alleged.
'AAP continues to resort to smoke-and-mirror tactics to cover up its failures and shield its own. The people of Punjab deserve real accountability, not political theatre,' Bajwa said.
Congress MLA from Bholath, Sukhpal Singh Khaira, termed Arora's arrest a 'blatant eyewash' and a 'political gimmick', 'orchestrated' by the Mann-led AAP government 'to mislead the public ahead of the upcoming Ludhiana West byelection'.
Khaira drew parallels to the arrest of former minister Vijay Singla ahead of the Sangrur Lok Sabha byelection in 2022, pointing out that despite serious corruption charges, no charge-sheet was ever filed against him.
'Dr Vijay Singla continues to enjoy the full patronage of AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal and the party, proving that such arrests are mere stunts to create a false narrative of accountability,' Khaira alleged in a statement.
'The arrest of Raman Arora is a repeat of the same script played out before the Sangrur byelection. The AAP government is desperate to divert attention from its failures and rampant corruption within its ranks. Punjabis are not fooled by these tactics,' Khaira said, urging the public to see through the 'political drama' and hold the AAP accountable 'for its betrayal of the common man's trust'.
Soon after coming to power in Punjab in 2022, the AAP government arrested its minister Singla in connection with a corruption case. Over two years ago, AAP MLA from Punjab's Bathinda Rural seat Amit Rattan Kotfatta was caught in a bribery case by the Vigilance Bureau. PTI SUN KSS KSS
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
30 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Saamna hints at Thackeray cousins getting together for municipal polls
MUMBAI: A day after Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray declared that whatever the people of Maharashtra wanted would happen, fuelling speculation about the estranged Thackeray cousins coming together, the Sena (UBT) mouthpiece Saamna published an old picture of him with Raj Thackeray on its front page. Meanwhile, Raj held another meeting of leaders of his party, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), on Saturday, reportedly seeking to gauge the mood among his workers as well as the people on the issue. After Raj, who parted ways with the undivided Shiv Sena in 2006, said in a podcast in April that he would set aside his differences with cousin Uddhav in the interest of Maharashtra, and Uddhav echoed similar sentiments, there has been rising pressure from the workers of both parties for their leaders to join hands. Uddhav on Friday said that the wish of the people of Maharashtra would be fulfilled. He also said that instead of giving any message to party workers, he would give the news to them directly. The statement was highlighted with a picture of the two cousins together in Saamna on Saturday, saying that Uddhav had been hinting about the reconciliation. This is seen as yet another indication that the Sena (UBT) is seeking a reunion. 'Leaders from both sides have been deliberating on the possibilities of coming together, as it is seen as the need of the hour for both parties,' said a Sena leader. 'Both are going through troubled phases and it is a battle for survival for them.' Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and former MP Chandrakant Khaire claimed that the issue was discussed in a meeting at Thackeray's residence Matoshree a month ago. 'Uddhavji was favourably inclined towards joining hands with Raj Thackeray, and the responsibility of talks was given to Anil Parab,' he said on Saturday. The MNS too is believed to be holding meetings of its senior leaders. In one such meeting on Saturday, the issue was reportedly discussed. However, senior party leader Bala Nandgaonkar, who was part of the meeting, chose to remain silent on it. 'The decision (about joining hands with the Sena-UBT) will be taken by our top leader (Raj) and it would not be proper for me to speak about it,' he said after the meeting. Shinde Sena leader Gajanan Kirtikar surprised many in political circles by saying that even the Shinde-led Sena should join hands with the two Thackerays. 'The revival of the Thackeray brand is the need of the hour and is the sentiment among the people of Maharashtra,' he said. 'It will be a people-friendly alliance. The Shinde-led Sena should join them to revive the Shiv Sena.' Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde said it would be premature to react to the potential alliance. 'It would not be fair for me to react to what Raj Thackeray has said and how Uddhav Thackeray has reacted,' said Fadnavis. 'More than the two cousins, the media is excited about the reconciliation. I will react when it actually happens.' Shinde echoed Fadnavis' remarks. 'Everybody has the right to decide whom to go with,' he said. 'There is no point in reacting to possibilities based on ifs and buts.' As positive reactions have started emerging from the two parties over the Thackeray cousins joining hands, the ruling and opposition combines have begun assessing the repercussions. The BJP leadership, while admitting that it would hamper its prospects in the urban parts of the state, claimed that it would damage the Shinde-led Shiv Sena more. The ruling alliance is wary of the consolidation of Marathi votes in urban areas, especially in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region which houses nine municipal corporations due for elections. The Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) expects to benefit from the two cousins joining hands. 'Raj draws crowds to his rallies but Uddhav translates the crowds into voters,' NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar remarked on Saturday while talking informally to the media. 'The MVA has a fair opportunity of benefitting from potential clashes among the ruling parties over seat-sharing in the forthcoming elections.'
Hindustan Times
35 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Rahul's allegation of Maha poll rigging triggers BJP, EC retorts
The Congress's rivals lashed out on Saturday against the opposition leader Rahul Gandhi for alleging systematic rigging of the November 2024 Maharashtra elections, a claim also rebuffed by Election Commission officials who called it misinformation. The Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha published an op-ed on Saturday, claiming the Maharashtra polls were a 'blueprint for rigging democracy' and alleging 'industrial-scale rigging involving the capture of our national institutions'. Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde dismissed Gandhi's claims as baseless, pointing out the inconsistency in the Congress leader's position. 'In the Lok Sabha elections, when Maha Vikas Aghadi won the elections in Maharashtra, they did not say anything. At that time, the EVMs and ECI were right,' Shinde told reporters in Thane. BJP chief JP Nadda accused Gandhi of manufacturing 'fake narratives' out of desperation following election defeats, saying the Congress leader was 'cooking up bizarre conspiracies' and 'defaming institutions with zero proof'. Gandhi outlined what he termed a five-step rigging process: rigging the panel for appointing the EC, adding fake voters to electoral rolls, inflating voter turnout, targeting bogus voting where the BJP needed wins, and hiding evidence. Election Commission officials, who did not want to be named, reiterated their stance of following laid-down procedures as per law, dismissing allegations of voter percentage spikes and substantial jumps in elector numbers. One of these officials emphasised that electoral roll preparation for the assembly elections occurred under the oversight of over 100,000 booth level agents appointed by political parties, including 27,099 from the Congress itself. 'Instead of writing to the EC directly, it is very strange that Rahul Gandhi keeps approaching the media seeking answers to his doubts again and again,' said this top-level official. 'After losing the match, blaming the referee has become the standard practice.' EC did not respond to requests for a comment. The official cited above added: 'If there was an issue with the elector numbers, why were hardly any appeals preferred with the DM and the CEO under the Representation of the People Act, 1950?'. The person cited above provided comparative data to counter Gandhi's allegations, noting that Maharashtra's 8.14 per cent elector growth between 2019 and 2024 was actually lower than other states. Jharkhand recorded a 13.40 per cent jump, Telangana saw a 16.16 per cent increase, and West Bengal had an 11.36 per cent rise during comparable periods. On allegations of inflated turnout figures, the EC official explained that voter turnout data on the VTR App would logically increase after 5 PM due to logistical challenges. 'Polling teams come from varying distances and face different logistical challenges, such as late-hour voting trends, difficult geographical and weather conditions, communication issues, and tough terrain,' this person said Following the off-record responses by EC officials, Gandhi took to X at 6:56 PM on Saturday and wrote on the issue again: 'Dear EC, You are a Constitutional body. Releasing unsigned, evasive notes to intermediaries is not the way to respond to serious questions,' Gandhi posted, demanding the publication of consolidated, digital voter rolls and release of post-5 PM CCTV footage from Maharashtra polling booths. 'Evasion won't protect your credibility. Telling the truth will,' he added. With agency inputs
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
2 injured as Delhi govt's new DEVI bus rams bicycle in Loni
Two people got injured on Friday morning after a Delhi government bus rammed their bicycle in Loni area, police said, adding that it was the government's recently launched Devi (Delhi Electric Vehicle Interconnector) bus. 'The electric bus involved in the accident was speeding and driven rashly. It later hit two people travelling on a bicycle. One of the injured, Kailash Singh, 52, lost a leg while Ghanshyam did not sustain serious injuries. They both were rushed to a hospital in Delhi, and are under treatment,' Ajay Kumar Singh, ACP of Ankur Vihar Circle, said. 'Once the families file a complaint, we will register an FIR. The electric bus from Delhi was seized soon after the incident,' the ACP added. Harendra Malik, SHO of Loni Border police station said the driver has been identified. They will detain him once a complaint is filed. The incident triggered a political spat between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) with the former blaming the BJP government for the incident, claiming the buses are being handed over to the drivers without any training. 'A tragic accident happened at Loni border – who is responsible? Delhi government's Devi electric bus crushed several people. This accident is not just an accident, it is the result of the gross negligence of the BJP government running in Delhi. The bus is handed over to the driver without training. Drivers are being recruited through private companies with no standards of experience and safety. Why is an important public service like DTC being given on contract? Why are drivers not being properly trained? Why is every week some innocent person losing his life on the road? This is not just an accident, this is a picture of the failure of Rekha Gupta's government,' AAP MLA Sanjeev Jha said in a post on X. Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor hit out at the AAP, saying that the 'so-called untrained drivers have been working since the time of the AAP government.' When asked about the incident, a transport department official said necessary actions will be taken as per relevant laws after a complaint is filed.
