During the recent assembly elections in Punjab, AAP surprised everyone by emerging as the victorious party with a whopping 92 of 117 seats. Tired of infighting among ruling Congress, people of the state voted for a new party that promised to represent an AAM AADMI. However, even before taking charge, Bhagwant Mann’s spending habits have shattered average Punjabis’s dreams.
61 lakhs for Road show
AAM AADMI party has planned an extravagant swearing-in ceremony for its incumbent chief minister. In what looks like an attempt to cater to Canadian Punjabi rather than those it is meant to serve; AAP has organised multiple events to market its brand new Punjabi chief minister.
As soon as it became clear that AAP is coming to power in Punjab, the party announced a massive roadshow in Amritsar district. The roadshow was marked by the presence of prominent AAP leaders like Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, Raghav Chaddha and many others.
However, what drew people’s attention was the lavish nature of a frankly unnecessary show of power.
Read More : How AAP’s impending victory in Punjab might throw Kejriwal out of the party after the results
Pathetic display of elitism
Apparently, 15 lakh rupees were spent so that an average Amritsari can see those faces near their houses which they are anyway accustomed to watching on Television. Interestingly, AAP did not use its own party funds for this purpose They used people’s money for their show off.
Alka Lamba, who is well aware of AAP’s functioning by virtue of being an ex-AAPian revealed this uncomfortable fact on her Twitter handle.
She shared photos of a government order asking to spend 15 lakhs from state coffers. Moreover, 2 lakh each has been allotted for similar celebrations in 3 other districts of the state. Basically, 61 lakh hard-earned taxpayers; money was spent by politicians to show their face to the people whom they are indebted to have voted them in.
#AAP तो राजनीति बदलने आए थे…?#AAP के द्वारा जनता के पैसों की लूट शुरू…
15 लाख रुपये @ArvindKejriwal के रोड शो पर खर्च किए जा रहे हैं और 46 लाख रुपये जिलों में रोड शो के लिए सरकारी खज़ाने से देने का आदेश हुआ है.
पंजाब और पंजाबियों को पहली बधाई.@INCPunjab https://t.co/xnHuSN9ig5 pic.twitter.com/E1UeTKTWvD— Alka Lamba 🇮🇳 (@LambaAlka) March 13, 2022
Whopping 2 crores for oath-taking ceremony
As if this was not enough, Aam Aadmi Party has made further arrangements to disappoint its voters. The Party’s grand swearing-in ceremony reeks of the elite privilege last witnessed in Congress governments.
The Punjab administration is slated to spend Rs 2 crore for the oath-taking ceremony of former comedian in Punjab. The official order to spend this handsome amount was again shared by the same Alka Lamba who exposed the 61 lakh spendings for the roadshow.
Sharing then photos in which Revenue and Rehabilitation department has been asked to allocate ₹2 crore to the DC of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, Alka wrote, “ for the hospitality of the leaders from Delhi to Punjab #AAP , orders have been given to give Rs 2 crore more from the government treasury… Congratulations ji.”
लीजिए दिल्ली से पंजाब पहुँचे #AAP के नेताओं की आवभगत के लिए सरकारी खज़ाने से 2 करोड़ रुपये और देने के आदेश हुए हैं… बधाई जी.#Punjab https://t.co/rL5B8prL3A pic.twitter.com/ma3EBvVG5R
— Alka Lamba 🇮🇳 (@LambaAlka) March 13, 2022
AAP is hurting the interests of farmers
If squandering of public money for its own selfish purposes was not enough, AAP is also hurting farmers just for a one-day event. The party has ordered to clear more than 40 acres of land to accommodate the influx of people gathering in for the high profile oath-taking ceremony.
According to a report by Times of India, most of the 40 acres of land was occupied by wheat crops that were still green. Moreover, officials have not ruled out the possibility of further destruction of the crop by AAP administration in the wake of the swearing-in ceremony.
Read More : The hidden message behind huge vote share of AAP in Punjab
Delhiites have seen it all
The incessant spending by AAP may have surprised Punjabis, but if they talk to an average Delhiite, it’s hardly breaking news for them. The average person in Delhi is now used to all this. Kejriwal is well-known for spending on his PR machinery to hide his faults.
- In 2015, Kejriwal government had awarded itself with Rs 522 crore to spend on advertisement, which was cut short to Rs 134 after controversies
- In April last year, it was reported that AAP government spent Rs 822 crore for advertisements, while no arrangement was made for people dying of oxygen shortage in Delhi
- 5 days ago, the national herald reported that AAP spent Rs 293 crore for advertising itself during the pandemic
What AAP is doing in Punjab is a part of the broader pattern. Since, in a democratic order, birth-based privilege is rarely rewarded by voters, so the elites have resorted to a new trick. They portray themselves as perennial victims to gain sympathy and hence power, then as soon as they get what they wanted, they ditch their constituencies. AAP’s ditching of farmers and average Punjabi even before the swearing-in ceremony is a prime example of that.
