Kejriwal slams Amit Shah for alleged threat against AAP government in Punjab

AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Monday accused Union Home Minister Amit Shah of threatening to topple the Bhagwant Mann government in Punjab after the Lok Sabha polls to claim that the country is under dictatorship.

Union Minister Shah, at an election rally in Ludhiana on Sunday, asked people to ensure victory of BJP's Lok Sabha candidates in Punjab and said “Bhagwant Mann's government will not last long after the BJP's victory.

On Monday, Kejriwal, addressing a gathering of traders in Amritsar, said, “Have you heard Amit Shah's statement? be knocked down. Bhagwant Mann will no longer remain chief minister after June 4.

“We have 92 seats (MPs). How can you overthrow (the government)? There is a dictatorship (in the country),” Kejriwal said, claiming that BJP leaders were openly saying that they would threaten the legislators with the CBI and the ED then “buy them”.

“I want to tell him (Shah)… threaten the people of Punjab. Otherwise, they will make it difficult for you to enter Punjab,” the Delhi chief minister added.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann criticized Shah for his remarks and said: “Do you have the courage to topple the government?” We have 92 seats. They threaten us. Are you coming (here) to seek votes or threaten to overthrow the government? “

In Amritsar, Kejriwal lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of remaining silent on the issues of unemployment and inflation.

“He (Modi) said that INDIA bloc will take over (people's) buffaloes and 'mangalsutras',” Kejriwal said and asked the Prime Minister to talk about people's problems.

“He has no solutions to people's problems. He seems to live in another world,” the Delhi chief minister said.

Lashing out at the BJP over Puri party's Lok Sabha candidate Sambit Patra's 'Lord Jagannath' remark, he said, “Sambit Patra says Lord Jagannath is Modi's 'bhakt'.” Patra had later clarified that it was a slip of the tongue and he meant that the Prime Minister was an ardent devotee of Lord Jagannath.

Kejriwal criticized the BJP-led Center for withholding Rs 9,000 crore from Punjab funds, including Rs 5,500 crore from rural development funds. “They are indulging in 'gundagardi' (hooliganism) and there is a dictatorship. There should be no development policy,” he said.

“It's not their money. It's the money of the people of Punjab,” he said.

The Delhi Chief Minister claimed that he was arrested to stop him from campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections.

Kejriwal was arrested in a money laundering case linked to the alleged Delhi excise scam in March and is currently out on interim bail until June 1.