Punjab floods: AAP MLAs, MPs donating one month salary to CM's Relief Fund, says Kejriwal

New Delhi, Sep 2 (PTI) Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday said party MLAs and MPs are donating one month's salary to the Punjab Chief Minister's Relief Fund to provide aid to the flood-affected state.

Punjab is under the grip of massive floods, caused by the swollen Sutlej, Beas and Ravi rivers and seasonal rivulets due to heavy rain in their catchment areas in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. Villages worst-affected by the floods were in Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Fazilka, Kapurthala, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, Hoshiarpur and Amritsar districts.

Calling the calamity an unprecedented crisis, Kejriwal issued an emotional appeal, invoking Punjab's unparalleled sacrifices for the nation and urging all political parties, state governments and especially the central government to rise above politics and extend wholehearted support to flood-hit Punjab.

The AAP chief announced that every party MP and MLA will donate one month's salary to the Punjab CM's Relief Fund.

"All Members of Parliament and MLAs of the Aam Aadmi Party -- from Delhi, Gujarat, Kashmir, Goa and across the country -- are donating their one month's salary to the Punjab CM's Relief Fund to support flood-affected families. Today, the entire nation is with Punjab," he added.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, along with his ministers, MLAs and thousands of AAP workers, is working round-the-clock on the ground to deliver food and medicines, and rescue services, while ordinary Punjabis themselves exemplify humanity by helping each other in this dark hour, he said.

In a video message, Kejriwal said, "Punjab is not just a state of our country but it is also a strong shield of Hindustan. History bears witness that whenever any foreign invader advanced towards our nation, Punjab bore the first blow on its chest.

"In all the attacks that India faced, Punjab absorbed the strikes on its own body and protected the rest of India. In every difficult time, Punjab always stood at the forefront," the former Delhi chief minister said.

Kejriwal stressed that thousands of acres of crops stand destroyed.

"I fold my hands before all political parties, state governments and especially the Central Government. Let us rise above politics and fulfill the duty of humanity. Let us all come together and extend open-hearted support to Punjab," he added. PTI SLB SLB KSS KSS