AAP MPs from Punjab doing Kejriwal’s bidding: Harsimrat Badal

SAD MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal decried the AAP MPs from Punjab for ignoring issues concerning the state and instead holding a protest at the Parliament in Kejriwal’s favour

Lok Sabha member Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Tuesday decried the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders elected to the Rajya Sabha from Punjab for ignoring issues concerning the state and instead holding a protest at the Parliament in favour of their party chief and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.

AAP MPs staging a protest at the Parliament in New Delhi on Tuesday. (PTI)

The AAP MPs staged a demonstration and raised placards in front of the Gandhi statue during the ongoing monsoon session at the Parliament on Tuesday, alleging that the central government was infringing on Kejriwal’s rights by not clearing his visit to Singapore to attend a global summit.

Claiming that the protesting parliamentarians were doing Kejriwal’s bidding, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and Bathinda MP Harsimrat Badal said in a statement here: “It is shocking that the AAP MPs of Punjab are expressing solidarity with the failed Delhi Model but are refusing to hold any protest against the allotment of land to Haryana in Chandigarh, compromising Punjab’s right over the Union Territory.”

Union home minister Amit Shah had recently announced the allotment of land to Haryana in Chandigarh for the construction of an additional Vidhan Sabha building, which has reignited a fresh round of tussle between Punjab and Haryana over their joint capital.

Alleging that the formation of an advisory panel has made party’s MP Raghav Chadha a “super chief minister”, Harsimrat said: “The SAD will do its utmost to strive to get all pending issues of the state resolved”. Bhagwant Mann-led government has appointed Chadha, a senior AAP leader and Rajya Sabha member from Punjab, as the chairman of a temporary advisory panel, which is expected to play a key role in financial planning of the state.