Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal's regular forays into Punjab were brushed away by Congress Chief Minster Charanjit Singh Channi on Wednesday. The AAP chief, he indicated, could be clueless about who the "aam aadmi (common man)" in Punjab is.
Asked about Mr Kejriwal's accusation about the Chief Minister being a copycat, Mr Channi said, "How does he know who is the Aam Aadmi of Punjab? When he realised he made a mistake by calling me a "fake Aam Aadmi", he is now saying I am "fake Kejriwal"," he told NDTV in an exclusive interview today.
On Monday, AAP had tweeted that Mr Channi was a "Fake Kejriwal".
Alleging that Mr Channi has promised people free power, water and bus service to the poor -- all among promises made by Mr Kejriwal to the people in Punjab -- AAP sent out an "imposter alert".
Months before Mr Channi's takeover, Mr Kejriwal had promised Punjab free power and water if his party comes to power in the assembly elections due next year. Later, he added transport to Ayodhya to the party's free pilgrimmage scheme.
The Punjab Chief Minister, who took over in September, had promised people free power and water. After the road to Kartarpur was opened, he announced free bus rides.
Today, Mr Channi said everything that the Aam Aadmi Party has promised, has been done by the state government.
"I have got four months as CM, but I will do four years' work. Neither do I sleep, nor do I let officers sleep. The system has changed," he said, echoing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "na khaoonga na khane doonga (zero corruption)" promise.
