AAP lashes out at Punjab govt over decision to slash power tariff; calls it 'poll stunt'

Terming the Punjab government's move to slash the power tariff by Rs. 3 for domestic consumers as a ‘political move’, Aam Aadmi Party leader and co-convenor of AAP in Punjab politics Raghav Chadha lashed out at Punjab Chief Minister Channi on Monday and claimed that he is afraid of Arvind Kejriwal and is trying to secure votes by ‘misleading people’.

Slamming the state government's latest announcement on power tariff, which Congress said was a ‘Big relief on Diwali’, Chadha claimed that the move is a poll strategy to fool the people of Punjab ahead of the state polls slated for 2022.

Raghav Chadha terms Punjab government's power tariff reduction as ‘Chunavi Jumla’

"It's a chunavi stunt (poll stunt) and a jumla (rhetoric) by Channi Sahab ahead of assembly elections in February-March next year. The decision to slash the power tariff has been taken with the intent to fool people and secure their votes,” Chadha charged.

He further insisted people of Punjab not get fooled by the "Chunavi Jumla" of Congress as the move is not aimed at people’s welfare, but is only a strategic announcement during the run to the elections. Chadha asserted that the Congress government is trying to hide all their incapabilities of the last four and half years by making such announcements. He termed the move a ‘coverup’ to hide its failures on various fronts and secure the votes of the people by ‘misleading and fooling’ them. 

He further mocked the newly appointed Punjab CM Channi and charged that Congress was pushed to make such a move, following the announcement made by AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal on ‘free and uninterrupted electricity, as they were ‘scared’ of the AAP chief, as only Kejriwal can provide free electricity.

 "Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi was scared of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's promise of providing free and uninterrupted electricity to people (if voted to power)." "It's only Kejriwal who can provide 24X7 free electricity to people," he told PTI.

Delhi AAP MLA further noted that the announcement made will only last for a few months, as it will only be applicable till the current fiscal, lasting March 2022. The rates of the electricity will be slated to change after polls, Chadha asserted. 

Attacking Congress, he said, had Congress leadership wanted to work towards the welfare of the people, they must have made the amendments in the power tariff in all the states ruled by them and not only Punjab, which will be going to polls in a few months.

(With PTI Inputs)

Image:PTI/ ANI