Congress slams AAP over Bharat Ratna delay for Manmohan Singh
What's the story
Punjab Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa has slammed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led government for failing to keep its word of moving a resolution in the Assembly to posthumously confer the Bharat Ratna on former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Bajwa, who is also the leader of the opposition in the Punjab Assembly, expressed his disappointment on Tuesday.
He said Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan had promised him to bring the resolution but didn't.
Unfulfilled promise
Bajwa questions AAP's commitment to honoring Manmohan Singh
Bajwa also questioned the AAP's commitment to honoring Singh, India's first Sikh prime minister, who passed away in December last year.
He stressed Singh's contributions as PM from 2004 to 2014, noting his focus on inclusive development and economic stability.
"The AAP government should have put aside party politics to stand for the honor of the son of Punjab. Yet, it failed to do so, which is highly deplorable," he said.
Accusations
Bajwa accuses AAP of prioritizing politics over honoring Singh
Bajwa accused the AAP of putting party politics ahead of paying tribute to a stalwart of Punjab.
"As Prime Minister from 2004 to 2014, Manmohan Singh made a tremendous contribution to shaping modern India. His tenure as Prime Minister was marked by a steadfast focus on inclusive development, social justice, and economic stability," he added.
Internal unrest
Bajwa hints at instability within AAP government
Earlier, Bajwa hinted at a possible instability in the AAP government in Punjab, claiming over 32 AAP MLAs are in touch with him and perhaps the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
He clarified the Congress wouldn't destabilize the government but the BJP might.
Bajwa alleged financial misconduct under the AAP's rule, accusing them of transferring money abroad and to other states through hawala channels in an interview with NDTV.
Counter-accusations
AAP accuses Bajwa of planning to join BJP
The AAP hit back at Bajwa, accusing him of planning to join the BJP. Party leader Neel Garg alleged that Bajwa had met senior BJP leaders.
"He has been saying the same thing for the past three years....His brother is in BJP," state unit president Aman Arora also said.
"I want to tell Rahul Gandhi to ask Bajwa what he did when he went to Bangalore a few days ago and which BJP leaders he met," he said.