Channi slams AAP for fielding candidates facing criminal cases

Channi, who is also the Congress’ chief ministerial face, said there were around 60 candidates of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and 44 candidates of AAP who had criminal cases against them

Chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Monday slammed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for giving tickets to several candidates who have criminal antecedents.

Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi addressing a press conference in Chandigarh on Monday. (PTI)

Channi, who is also the Congress’ chief ministerial face, said there were around 60 candidates of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and 44 candidates of AAP who had criminal cases against them. “Every third candidate of the AAP is facing criminal cases,” the chief minister said at a press conference here in which Pawan Khera, media and communication in-charge of Punjab Congress, and Rajeev Shukla, in-charge party affairs in Himachal, were also present. He also accused the AAP of giving tickets to many people who came from other parties just a few days before the elections.

The CM promised free education in government schools and college and one-lakh government jobs in the first year if Congress returns to power, stressing on free education and health facilities. “I understand the problems that a person belonging to the lower class or middle-class faces. It is important to provide free education, free health facilities, better living and a pucca house to all the needy,” he said.

Channi said he had endured poverty and could understand what a ‘pucca house’ meant for the lower and middle families. “Our government will provide pucca house to the needy within six months and senior Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi had recently announced to provide eight cylinders free in a year to women,” he said. He also promised to provide interest-free loans for the startups within one year of forming the government.