AAP farmers’ manifesto poor carbon copy of Cong: Amarinder

Chandigarh, Sep 11 (PTI) Punjab Congress chief AmarinderSingh today claimed the farmers’ manifesto by AAP was a "poorcarbon copy" of the one by his party and alleged the outfit"lacked the confidence to commit anything". "AAP has promised conditional loan waiver, while Congresshad already promised unconditional loan waiver to the farmers.There are so many ifs and buts in the AAP manifesto, itportrays lack of confidence in the party to commit anything,"he said. Referring to other announcements in the AAP farmers’manifesto like bringing legislation to save farmers’ land frombeing auctioned in case of loan default, confiscation ofBadals’ buses and providing these to the unemployed youth,Amarinder has already made these commitments long ago. On AAP’s claims that farmers’ produce will be liftedwithin 24 hours of its arrival in mandis and payment will bemade within 72 hours, the former Chief Minister said that hehad already done it between 2002 and 2007 and the whole ofPunjab in general and the farmers in particular know about it. He also took a dig at AAP national convener and DelhiChief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for "avoiding" any reference tothe Sutlej Yamuna Link Canal issue, while "otherwise repeatingeverything" in the Congress manifesto. "Doesn’t it portray the lack of sincerity and commitmentabout the promises they made?" Amarinder asked. Asserting that this is not only a battle of gettingPunjab rid of the Badals and Majithia, he said, "It is anissue of Punjab, Punjabi and Punjabiyat which will not beallowed to be compromised by handing over the reins of thestate to outsiders, who donÂ’t even know the ‘P’ of Punjab." "Punjab is for Punjabis and I will not let anynon-Punjabi rule over Punjab, come what may," Amarinder said,and slammed Kejriwal for announcing that Anandpur Sahib wouldbe made a holy city if AAP is voted to power in the state. Amritsar and Anandpur Sahab are already holy cities andthis has been reported in the newspapers during the last fewdays of Kejriwal’s stay in the state, he said. PTI VJ NSD RGNSD