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AAP’s spending on victory rally in Punjab exposes hollowness of its honesty claims: Opposition
In a statement, Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa said the AAP, instead of spending from party funds – the rally was not a government function as the ministers had not been administered oath of office yet – had spent lakhs of rupees on lodging party leaders in five-star hotel, decorations, gold-plated swords, phulkari etc. presented to the Delhi leadership.
Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa on Saturday said that Rs.14.63 lakh incurred on government account over the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)’s ‘Vijay Yatra’ (victory rally) on March 13, even before the ministers were sworn in, has exposed the hollowness of Bhagwant Mann-led government’s much-touted claims of honesty.
In a statement, Bajwa said the AAP, instead of spending from party funds – the rally was not a government function as the ministers had not been administered oath of office yet – had spent lakhs of rupees on lodging party leaders in five-star hotel, decorations, gold-plated swords, phulkari etc. presented to the Delhi leadership.
Notably, Bajwa’s reaction comes following a Hindustan Times report on Saturday, which exposed how ₹14.63 lakh was spent on the function marked to celebrate the victory of the AAP in assembly polls. The information was procured through an RTI.
Bajwa said both Mann and Kejriwal owe explanation to the people of Punjab about the “open loot” even before their constitutional initiation into the government.
“The people of Punjab would eagerly await the announcement regarding reimbursement of expenditure of ₹14.65 lakh on Vijay Yatra, besides the yet-to-be-disclosed loss to the state exchequer on account of misuse of the government buses on that day, for the pleasure of the AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal. Further, how would the AAP correct the abuse of authority by officers in debiting this expenditure to the government account?” said Bajwa.
SAD also flays moves
In a statement released here, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) spokesman Daljit Singh Cheema said that on one hand, AAP is preaching that it was working to save Punjab but on the other, it was running Punjab with unwarranted expenditure and loans. He said while AAP leaders were honoured with gold plated swords, accommodated in five-star hotel, the government led by Mann took a loan of Rs. 10,762 crore within five months of coming to power.
