Mohali, March 13 AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal on Friday promised full support to the industry in Punjab for competing with China in manufacturing, saying he is deeply concerned when he sees the import of items like plastic buckets and idols of deities from that country.
The party's national convener was addressing a gathering on the opening day of the Progressive Punjab Investors Summit 2026.
"God has blessed this country with everything. When God created the earth, the most prosperous and beautiful land he created was 'Bharatvarsh'. We have mountains, rivers, medicinal herbs, minerals, iron, coal, and countless other resources.
"However, I feel extremely sad when we import toys and stationery from China, even the plastic containers we use to store spices in our kitchens are imported from China," Kejriwal said.
"I am deeply concerned that even after 75 years of Independence, we still import plastic buckets and phone chargers from China. We cannot even make our own Lakshmi and Ganesh idols. This is a matter of patriotism. You must do this for the country.
"Tell us what you need and start exporting to China. We will provide you with whatever environment you require. This is not just a promise," the AAP leader added.
The former Delhi chief minister wondered if these items cannot be manufactured domestically and at a lower cost.
"Give Punjabis the opportunity, and they will manufacture products cheaper than China and even export them," he asserted.
He alleged that in the 75 years of the country's Independence, no government trusted the talent of its own people.
"Our systems have been so weak that they do not allow anyone to do anything. We must be given opportunities. India must become number one, and we must defeat China," he said.
"I offer you this today, and (Chief Minister Bhagwant) Mann saab is with me. The entire Punjab government is with me. Tell us what you need to defeat China, and we will provide it to you in Punjab," he added.
Kejriwal said that he remembers the time in the 1980s when Punjab ranked first in the country in terms of per capita income, a status it lost over the past 40 years, slipping to 18th position.
"When we took charge of the government in 2022, there was a very gloomy atmosphere. Industries were leaving Punjab," he said.
"When we took charge of the government in Punjab and saw darkness everywhere, we tried to understand how many countries that were once behind India have progressed so much today," he added.
Kejriwal said that he does not consider AAP to be a political party, but rather a startup or a "Unicorn," and it will become a national party in 10-12 years.
The former IRS officer said that over the past two-three years, he travelled across Punjab with Mann to understand the needs of industry captains.
"One major conclusion emerged: People were unhappy with the government and troubled by government interference. There was only one demand that the government should stop interfering and allow them to do their work and run their businesses," he said.