Lucknow: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has said that it is because of them that parties are talking of the development issues.
AAP national spokesperson and MP, Sanjay Singh, said, “We have successfully tried to bring the focus on development issues in these elections. Parties are now promising free electricity after we first announced this.”
He said, “Caste and religion are a blot on UP politics and a shame that people have considered these issues while voting. This is why, for 75 years, all political parties have used it as a weapon. Issues like development, health, education and industry have been left behind. People will also have to think about how long they can vote for on the basis of caste and community and expect a good government.”
He further said that other parties were blaming each other on the number of criminals in their list, while AAP was discussing the number of educated candidates it has fielded.
Slamming the BJP’s communal narrative, Singh said, “Look at BJP, which is talking of Jinnah instead of ‘ganna’ (sugarcane). BJP is the biggest supporter of Jinnah. That Pakistan is India’s enemy has been known for 75 years but it is BJP which has been its biggest promoter. Before Independence, it was Veer Savarkar and Shyama Prasad Mukherjee who formed a joint government with the Muslim League in West Bengal, Sindh and North West Frontier Province. L.K. Advani was the first BJP leader to go to Pakistan and visit Jinnah’s grave. Who was the first Prime Minister to call the Pakistani Prime Minister for his swearing-in? It was Narendra Modi. He made an unplanned stop to attend the Pakistani’s Premier’s birthday. He allowed ISI onto Indian soil to assess a terror attack. Who is the BJP trying to fool?”
He further said, “UP has a government and chief minister who work on hatred. They want to run the government on the basis of false FIRs, encounters and fear. When AAP became active, we took on the role of the main Opposition party and highlighted corruption and issues which nobody was speaking about. As a result, I have 21 cases filed against me.”
Sanjay Singh stated that the 2022 election will determine a lot in Indian politics, including who will occupy the place of the main Opposition. That is a position that AAP will come to occupy. We will form a government in Punjab while in other states we will get a good result. AAP has been playing the role of the Opposition and has been accepted by the people.
About his failed attempt to ally with Samajwadi Party, the AAP leader said, “We were trying for an alliance but that did not work out. Now, we are contesting all 403 seats. Alliances should be determined on a similar agenda. So far, AAP is not in alliance politics.”
IANS