Chandigarh, February 13 Senior AAP leader Anurag Dhanda launched a scathing attack on the BJP government in Haryana on Friday, accusing it of using people's hard-earned money to "buy" MLAs in Punjab.
Dhanda's attack came a day after AAP MLA in Punjab, Narinder Kaur Bharaj, claimed that Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini had offered her a BJP ticket for the 2027 Assembly polls in Punjab, an allegation that the saffron leader strongly refuted.
Dhanda, AAP's national media in-charge, said in a statement, "The hard-earned money of the people of Haryana is being used in attempts to buy MLAs in Punjab, which is a direct attack on democracy and a betrayal of public trust."
"Haryana is currently struggling with serious issues such as unemployment, poor law and order, broken roads, a rising drug menace, and the neglect of sportspersons.
"Players have not received their diet allowance for nine months. Pensions for the elderly are being cut. Schemes for women are facing reductions. Youth are wandering in search of jobs.
"But the chief minister (Saini) is not concerned about these issues and is instead busy with political conspiracies."
The AAP leader also said that if the Haryana government had so much money and energy, it should use them to improve governance in the state rather than trying to "buy" MLAs in Punjab.
"It is shameful that taxpayers' money is being spent to destabilize democracy," Dhanda said.
Under Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, the AAP government in Punjab has provided more than 62,000 government jobs in just four years, transparently and purely on merit, Dhanda claimed.
"Governance (in Punjab) is being run on transparency and honesty, which is why the BJP is rattled and resorting to conspiracies," he alleged, adding that AAP MLAs are not for sale.
"They are dedicated workers inspired by the ideology of Arvind Kejriwal. They cannot be lured by money or positions. Unlike the BJP and Congress, AAP does not indulge in politics of deals and bargaining for power," he said.
Challenging Chief Minister Saini to answer to the people of Haryana, Dhanda said, "When players are practising on empty stomachs, youth are struggling for employment, and the elderly are worried about their pensions, why is he (Saini) prioritizing political conspiracies in Punjab? The public is watching and they will respond at the right time."
Earlier on Friday, Saini asked the AAP in Punjab to fulfill the promises it made to the people instead of "diverting public attention," dismissing Bharaj's allegation that he offered her a BJP ticket for the 2027 Punjab polls as baseless.
Lashing out at the AAP, Saini said, "It is alleged that she (Bharaj) was contacted as part of Operation Lotus, and a ticket was offered. Along with the ticket, more offers were made… This is a baseless allegation."
On Thursday, the Haryana BJP slammed the AAP, saying its politics is based on "lies, conspiracies, and drama".
"When the time comes to act, they disappear, and when the public demands accountability, they fabricate a new narrative," it said, rubbishing Bharaj's claims.