New Delhi (Gurpreet Singh): The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)’s newly constituted Political Affairs Committee (PAC) held its first meeting on Thursday under the leadership of National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal. The meeting, held at his residence, was attended by new Punjab members of the PAC, including CM Bhagwant Singh Mann and Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema. Senior AAP leader and Punjab Prabhari Manish Sisodia shared that the meeting extensively deliberated on the upcoming elections in Punjab, Goa and Gujarat, with the party gearing up to take on the BJP across the three states.
Manish Sisodia highlighted the political mood in the states, emphasising the people of Punjab are extremely happy with the work of Bhagwant Singh Mann and want to see him as Chief Minister again, while the people of Goa and Gujarat are fed up with the BJP’s misgovernance and now want change.
Senior AAP leader and Punjab Prabhari Manish Sisodia provided details of the discussions held at the PAC meeting, stating that the first meeting of the new PAC began with a discussion on the total victory in Baran, Rajasthan. Manish Sisodia said, “The way the people of Baran have rejected the BJP’s policies has created hope that if a better alternative is presented before the BJP today, people are willing to consider and seek it. Very soon, National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal, CM Bhagwant Mann and I will travel to Baran in Rajasthan and hold a roadshow there.”
The senior AAP leader explained that the second discussion focused on the elections in Punjab, Goa and Gujarat and preparations for them. He stated, “The organisation is doing unprecedented pro-people work there and the people of Punjab want to bring the government back. In Goa and Gujarat, people want change. They feel tormented by the BJP and are looking for change. We also discussed how this sentiment can be converted into electoral victories.”
Manish Sisodia shared that the third discussion in the PAC was regarding UPI. He revealed, “The decision taken by the government regarding UPI under pressure from Trump has left people across the country feeling cheated. We discussed how people will now have to pay a fee to spend their own money. It is very strange that today the Reserve Bank issues a currency note to us and when we spend it, the entire cost of producing and issuing that note is borne by the Reserve Bank and the government. If I have a ₹100 note in my pocket, the Reserve Bank does not tell me to give it ₹101 and then it will give me ₹100. Its value for me remains ₹100.”
He further added, “But in the case of UPI, where there is no such printing or similar cost involved, the burden is being imposed on the common people under pressure from Trump. American companies will receive 80 per cent of the benefit from this entire scam. PM Modi has taken this decision under pressure from Trump, and it was discussed extensively in the PAC. The party and the organisation will raise this issue.”
Manish Sisodia stated that another important discussion in the PAC concerned the revelation of how the BJP played the ‘farzi-vote’ game during the previous Delhi Assembly elections. He said, “A media report has now revealed how fake votes were suddenly created in Arvind Kejriwal’s New Delhi Assembly constituency just before the elections. As many as 50 or 100 votes were added to a single house, and the Election Commission, with great zeal in serving and bowing before the BJP, created those votes.”
He revealed, “A media report has also revealed how the BJP had fake votes created in the New Delhi Assembly constituency.”
The AAP Punjab Prabhari continued, “Now that the SIR has been conducted, all those votes have been deleted. Every vote that was created just before the elections was fake, and 40 per cent of them have also been found to be fake in the SIR. Now we have to see how the Election Commission takes cognisance of this.”
Responding to a question about preparations for the Punjab elections, Manish Sisodia stated, “We are fully prepared for the Punjab elections. People are very happy with the work of the Bhagwant Mann Government and want to bring the AAP Government back and see Bhagwant Mann as Chief Minister again. The people of Punjab also know that if, by chance, Bhagwant Mann is no longer the Chief Minister, the old parties will once again promote drugs, loot public money, indulge in corruption in employment and exploit businesspersons. The people of Punjab do not want to see that old era return.”
Manish Sisodia explained that the Aam Aadmi Party’s National Council meeting had been held just a few days earlier, following which the National Executive meeting constituted the new PAC. He stated, “Arvind Kejriwal has been appointed as its convenor, and some new members have also been inducted into it.”
