The Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in Punjab Vidhan Sabha, Partap Singh Bajwa on Wednesday slammed the Aam Aadm Party-led Punjab government for appointing school teachers and principals to ferry the AAP’s workers and other people to Amritsar, where the party’s national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal inaugurated the School of Emminence.
“With such an inconsistent move, the Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s hypocritical face stands exposed. He earlier claimed that he would let the teacher teach and would not assign any other duty to the teachers. Now he has changed his stance with “His Master’s Voice”. This is also a sheer violation of the rules”, Bajwa added. Citing news reports, Bajwa said that at least 310 teachers—from principals and headmasters to lecturers and others—would accompany AAP workers in PRTC buses as “in-charges”. This has been implemented despite the ongoing examination season.
Bajwa said that the Food and Civil Supply Department would arrange the food for the AAP workers going to the rally. “Now the onus is on the Punjab CM to explain when it has come under the jurisdiction of the Food and Civil Supply Department to arrange food for the AAP workers.”
He added that ahead of Kejriwal’s visit, the Punjab Police had detained protesting teachers and their leaders. In its detention spree, the Police also detained the sworn-sister of Arvind Kejriwal, Sippy Sharma, to whom Kejriwal had promised a regular job after the formation AAP government in Punjab.”Only a couple of months back, the AAP government brutally beat up protesting teachers. Punjab CM, who often boasts about being the son of a teacher, has demonstrated how much honour he has for the people from his father’s profession”, Bajwa charged. The Opposition leader said that the state-run transport department had already been reeling under financial distress. Meanwhile, the AAP government had taken Pepsu Roadway Transport Corporation buses to bring the crowd including AAP workers from across the state to Arvind Kejriwal’s rally in Amritsar. “Wouldn’t that put an extra burden on the PRTC? I am sure the AAP government will not compensate the PRT for its services.”
