Punjab AAP government’s Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann arrived in Ahmedabad this evening. On this occasion, Aam Aadmi Party State President Isudan Gadhvi, MLA Gopal Italia, MLA Chaitar Vasava, State Organization General Secretary Manoj Sorathiya, and State Chief Spokesperson Dr. Karan Barot, along with a large number of Aam Aadmi Party office bearers and workers, gave a warm welcome to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. During this time, while speaking to the media, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann stated that former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ajit Pawar passed away in a tragic accident. We pray to God that the departed soul attains peace, and we pay our condolences to him. At present, our party’s organization in Gujarat has been built very strongly. Public meetings are being held village to village, and continuous programs are also being organized in big cities. The people of Gujarat now want change. Based on the environment we have seen so far, it is clear that the people of Gujarat want something new. Congress is hardly visible here anymore. The grand victory of Gopal Italia from Visavadar, that too by a large margin, is a very positive signal for the Aam Aadmi Party, and we will work with even more effort. The healthcare and education model of Arvind Kejriwal has been successfully implemented in Delhi and Punjab, and in the same way, we will take it to every household in Gujarat as well.
On the issue of SIR, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said that if any political party—whether a national party or a state-level party—has any kind of objection or doubt, then the Election Commission should itself come forward and provide clarification. The Election Commission should not impose conditions like “apologize within 72 hours” or issue pressure-driven instructions, but should conduct a transparent and credible investigation of the entire process and provide satisfactory answers to the public. If fake voters continue to be created through SIR, then how will democracy survive? This is a dangerous situation for democracy. Regarding the UGC issue, he said that the UGC conducts major universities and large-scale examinations. My clear stand is that if there are objections on any issue—whether it concerns educational institutions, the Election Commission, or any other constitutional body—it is their responsibility to provide clarification and satisfaction.
Further, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann stated that when we talk about Punjab, Punjab has been at the forefront among the states that have made the highest sacrifices for the country. When the country needed food grains, Punjab’s farmers carried out the Green Revolution and filled the nation’s grain reserves. Despite this, Punjab does not have its own capital even today. Chandigarh, which is the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana, actually rightfully belongs to Punjab. This issue has been raised many times earlier as well. Punjab does not have its own separate High Court. Whereas even the small states of the North-East have their own High Courts. Due to this, case pendency has increased significantly and the system is under heavy burden. In today’s time, there should not be any state that does not have its own capital. Chandigarh is Punjab’s capital and should remain Punjab’s capital.
