Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa has severely attacked Arvind Kejriwal, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener, for allegedly using Punjab state resources for personal and political gains.
Sirsa blamed Kejriwal for using Punjab's state helicopter as his "personal ride" and asked for the logic in using state assets at the behest of Kejriwal so often and why Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann gave permission.
On an X post, Sirsa expressed concerns regarding the economic condition of Punjab, citing the state's rising debt, distressed farmers, jobless youth, and ailing industries. He accused public funds being wasted on Kejriwal's "VIP luxuries" rather than tackling the state's critical issues. Sirsa also questioned Punjab's Chief Minister, Bhagwant Mann, as to whether he was working for Punjab or acting as Kejriwal's "travel agent."
The controversy is in the wake of Kejriwal's second trip to Ludhiana in a fortnight. He will speak at a rally and organize a march against the drug menace during Punjab's continuing 'Yudh Nashe De Virudh' (War Against Drugs) campaign. His visit is also on the eve of Ludhiana West Assembly bypoll, which has turned into a high-stakes election for the AAP government. The bypoll was necessitated by the death of AAP's Gurpreet Singh Gogi in January.
Kejriwal's repeated visits to Punjab and the seeming abuse of state resources have attracted strong criticism from political opponents, questioning the priorities of the Punjab government under AAP's leadership.
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