Launching a scathing attack on Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal called him a "fake Kejriwal". He accused the Punjab CM of copying his pre-election promises. "There is a fake Kejriwal roaming around. Whatever I promise in Punjab, he does the same after 2 days. He does no work, he is a fake," said the Delhi Chief Minister while announcing a massive cash transfer scheme to a room full of women in the Moga district of Punjab.
"I announced Mohalla Clinics in Punjab. Fake Kejriwal said the same thing but didn't make even one. I will be meeting auto unions, this was planned 10 days in advance, but he went today. Darna accha hai (It's good to be afraid)," he said, taking a swipe at Mr Channi. The Punjab CM had met auto-rickshaw drivers this morning and announced waiver of all pending challans for them. He also announced that new registration certificates will be issued soon to them for "preventing their harassment".
The Delhi CM said that if AAP is voted to power, all women in Punjab who are 18 years of age would receive Rs. 1,000 every month. Calling it the "biggest such scheme in the world", he added that this would make every woman feel financially independent and they would not have to go through the shame of having to ask for money from male members of their families.
Mr Kejriwal was accompanied by AAP Punjab state president and Member of Parliament Bhagwant Mann. "Every woman in each family will get this...no government has done this before. I know so many women who can't go to college, now they will be able to do so...Rs. 1,000 is not a lot but this will make thousands of women financially independent," he added.
Requesting the women to give his party "one chance" in the state, he promised them their futures would change. He said women will decide the outcome of the state elections.
Taking a swipe at Mr Kejriwal's announcement for women, the Punjab CM said women were not dependent on "freebies". "Women are not dependent on any freebies, they only ask for their due rights which we will give them in every possible way," he said at a Congress party workers' meeting in Ludhiana.
He also criticised the term AAP is using for their Punjab assembly election campaign. "What does 'Mission Punjab' of Kejriwal mean? Does it mean that outsiders from Delhi will come and rule Punjab? Are there no Punjabis living here to take care of Punjab?" he said.
The AAP chief also targeted Mr Channi on electricity subsidies. "Only one man can make your electricity bill zero and that is Kejriwal. Nobody else can make it happen," he said. Promising an uninterrupted power supply at affordable rates to domestic consumers, Mr Channi had recently slashed electricity rates for domestic consumers by three rupees per unit in Punjab. Taking a dig at Mr Kejriwal's poll promise of free electricity, the Punjab CM had said that his government's survey suggested people wanted cheap, and not free power.
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