Punjab: AAP, BJP at loggerheads over saffron party’s awareness camps

Chandigarh, Aug 21 (PTI) After the BJP accused the Mann government of "forcibly stopping" its awareness camps in Punjab, AAP leader Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal on Thursday hit back at the saffron party alleging that its workers were "illegally" collecting personal details in the name of central schemes.

Dhaliwal pointed out that as per the rules, the central government implements any of its welfare schemes through the state government.

Leaders and workers of any political party have no right to do so, the former minister added.

He asked the Centre whether it has given BJP workers the authority to implement the central schemes. "They should tell the people of Punjab whether the central government schemes are implemented through the state government or the parties." The AAP leader also alleged that the BJP workers were "misleading" them and collecting their data in the name of "offering benefits".

"This data may also be misused. Therefore, people should remain cautious and not trust such individuals at all," he said.

The BJP has accused the AAP government of "forcibly halting" their awareness camps, which it claimed, are aimed at ensuring the benefits of the central schemes reach people in the state.

A delegation of BJP Thursday met Governor Gulab Chand Kataria seeking his intervention in the matter.

The BJP also alleged that several party leaders including former Union minister Preneet Kaur, former MLA K D Bhandari, former MP Sushil Rinku, and former MLA Harjot Kamal were detained by police from various such camps in the state on Thursday.

The party alleged that the AAP government has "forcibly halted" its awareness camps at 39 places as part of the party's outreach programme 'BJP De Sewadar, Aa Gaye Tuhade Dwar' to ensure that the poor, the scheduled caste community, farmers, youth and women get the benefits of public welfare schemes of the Modi government.

The opposition party levelled the allegation after the Punjab Police on Wednesday said that it has formed several teams to investigate that some unauthorized persons are allegedly collecting personal information of individuals for the government schemes.

The inquiries have been instituted after receipt of complaints stating that personal data of citizens is being collected by unauthorised persons who are holding camps, making the personal data vulnerable to thefts and bank frauds, police had said.

Separately, a Punjab government statement had also said the government has received credible reports that certain private operators are "illegally" collecting personal data of local residents, allegedly on behalf of political parties.

Meanwhile, Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar dared Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, stating that the BJP will once again set up a camp for the benefit of the poor on August 22 in Raipur village in Fazilka district, from where the police detained the party leaders on Thursday.

Jakhar said that he would personally attend this camp.

He said that "this attack was not on the workers of the BJP, but on the poor people of Punjab who were being given the benefits of central government schemes through these camps".

AAP leader Dhaliwal also alleged that the BJP-led Centre wanted to strike off the names of 10 lakh ration card holders in Punjab, as part of a "conspiracy".

Alleging that the BJP was deliberately targeting the people of Punjab, he said "removing" such a large number of people from ration cards is a "direct attack" on the poor, Dalits and underprivileged sections of Punjab.

"We will not let this be implemented at any cost," he said.

Dhaliwal said the central government was making "false excuses" for removing their names as beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act, that cardholders have vehicles, houses and land in their name.

"In reality, this is a well-thought-out strategy to harass Punjabis and defame the Punjab government. The BJP wants to snatch foodgrains from the poor of Punjab and provoke people against the Aam Aadmi Party and the Mann government. But their ploy will not succeed. The people of Punjab know BJP's intentions very well," he said.

He demanded that the Centre should immediately withdraw this move. PTI CHS SUN KVK KVK