Tribune News Service
Patiala, April 24
Waving from an open jeep under a scorching sun, AAP ideologue Yogendra Yadav arrives to a grand welcome at Urban Estate, Patiala, on Thursday. As soon as he gets down from the vehicle, he is swarmed by AAP supporters. Without wasting any time, he settles on a green carpet laid on the ground. Supporting an AAP cap, a boy jostles through the crowd to offer him a glass of water. “Please make way for me, Yadavji needs to have medicine,” he tries to convince those surrounding the AAP leader.
As Yadav has lunch, the party’s Patiala candidate, Dr Dharamvir Gandhi, tries to brief him about the main issues concerning the constituency. But, Yadav appears to be in the know of things, appearing he has been keenly following the developments in Punjab. His stint at Panjab University, Chandigarh, for a few years in the 1990s, probably, has kept his interest in the state alive.
Though he can speak Punjabi, he communicates better in English and Hindi. Attired in a light-grey ‘kurta pyajama’, the usually soft-spoken Yadav adopts a tough stance while mounting attack on the SAD-BJP government and the Congress. He takes to participatory pattern to involve the audience in the dialogue.
Without naming anyone, he raises questions to seek replies from the audience: “Who is patronising the sale of drugs in Punjab? Who has hijacked the public transport? Who is minting money by selling ‘reta-bajri’ (sand and gravel) at a high premium?” Those present name some politicians in unison.
Appearing charged by Yadav’s speech, the audience, including some retired IAS and IRS officers, blames certain SAD-BJP leaders for the wrongdoings.
Yadav then alerts the supporters: “The ruling combine is facing huge anti-incumbency and its leadership is in panic. They will resort to all kinds of foul means on the polling day. You must remain watchful. Stay outside the polling booths from morning till late evening.”
The AAP leader now raises more questions, this time targeting the SAD-BJP alliance: “Will you elect the MPs of the SAD-BJP coalition, the government which has failed to protect your children from drugs? Will you support the leaders whose parties have allowed the sale of sand and gravel in black market and permitted the sand mafia to flourish?”
Punjab’s one generation has fallen victim to militancy whereas the next is being devoured by drugs, and the ruling coalition appears unconcerned, he alleges.
Yadav next takes on the Congress, describing the party’s rule at the Centre as a “period of record scams”.
“While the Congress is projecting its vice-president Rahul Gandhi as the country’s heir apparent, the BJP claims only Narendra Modi can guide India’s future. But in reality, both are unfit to rule our democracy. While Rahul symbolises dynastic politics, Modi is a dictator. Both believe in corporatisation. Rahul has been creating anti-BJP fear among the minorities whereas Modi is for complete domination of a particular community,” he quips.
Yadav now turns to the youth, considered to be AAP’s main support base. “I have seen an astonishing shine in the eyes of the Punjabi youth. It is a signal that the broom (AAP symbol) will sweep the nation. Punjab has always remained at the forefront of various movements and the same will happen this time too,” says Yadav as he concludes his address. He dismounts from the stage, shakes hands with a few supporters. The crowd rushes towards Yadav and waves at him as he gets into his jeep again, to proceed to his next rally.
‘Response better than that in Delhi, Haryana’
Patiala/Sangrur: Claiming that miracles did happen, like the one that happened in the 2013 Delhi assembly poll where the AAP drubbed major political outfits, party leader Yogendra Yadav today said the AAP’s prospects in Punjab were better than that in neighbouring Haryana and Delhi.
Yadav, who contested from Gurgaon, said given the support to AAP in Punjab, elections in Punjab would no more be bipolar between the SAD-BJP alliance and the Congress. “AAP will play a decisive role in Punjab politics,” he said. The AAP leader started his roadshow from Banur along with party’s Patiala candidate Dr Dharamvira Gandhi. After passing through the streets of Banur and Rajpura, he halted at Urban Estate, Patiala, to address a rally. He discarded the theory that AAP was only doing the work of eating into the vote share of various political parties in Punjab. In Sangrur, Yadav held a rally around 8:30 pm. He claimed that Bathinda candidate Bhagwant Mann would win by a record margin.
Appeal for sting ops
Chandigarh: Alerting Aam Aadmi Party supporters about the alleged distribution of drugs, liquor and money and use of muscle-power to influence voters by powerful political parties in the state, party leader Yogendra Yadav said they should use the Delhi technique in Punjab. "We prepared teams of volunteers to resort to sting operations to gather evidence of distribution of liquor, money and drugs in New Delhi Assembly elections and politicians behind it," said Yadav.
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