"Feel Encouraged," Arvind Kejriwal Quips After Rival Navjot Sidhu's Tweet

Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu's digs at the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) drew a retort today from Arvind Kejriwal, who said he "felt encouraged" that rivals were talking about his party.

Navjot Sidhu, reacting to AAP leader Bhagwant Mann's comments targeting him, had tweeted yesterday that the party had "recognized his vision and work" in the past.

Arvind Kejriwal, who is in Goa, was asked for his reaction.

"Navjot Singh Sidhu? He is in Punjab. I am happy that AAP is doing such a good job that even opposition leaders are praising us. So, one feels encouraged about it," the Delhi Chief Minister quipped, according to news agency PTI.

Mr Sidhu's tweets, however, were not exactly praise.

"Our opposition AAP has always recognised my vision & work for Punjab. Be it before 2017- Beadbi, drugs, farmers issues, corruption and power crisis faced by people of Punjab raised by me or today as I present "Punjab Model". It is clear they know - who is really fighting for Punjab," the cricketer-turned-politician had said.

He also shared old videos of senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh praising him.

A day earlier, AAP's Punjab unit chief Bhagwant Mann had taken a shot at him and had alleged corruption by Punjab's ruling Congress.

Mr Mann had alleged that the Punjab government was not scrapping the power purchase agreements (PPAs) signed by the previous Akali Dal-BJP government as the Congress had accepted "funds" from the three private companies that had set up thermal plants in the state.

"@sherryontopp Saab, If not anything else, we hope you could bother to at least tweet on the issue as you are used to," he had posted, goading Mr Sidhu.

.@sherryontopp Saab, If not anything else, we hope you could bother to at least tweet on the issue as you are used to.

── @BhagwantMann (State President & MP) https://t.co/QmCJ3nhnF7 pic.twitter.com/wjqecQIWSj

— AAP Punjab (@AAPPunjab) July 12, 2021

Mr Sidhu has put out a series of tweets over the past few days targeting both the Akali Dal and AAP over Punjab's power crisis. He had also attacked the AAP government in Delhi over its petition in the Supreme Court requesting the shutdown of 10 coal-fired power plants in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. The petition was later withdrawn.