AAP’s rally draws huge crowd at Akali stronghold Nakodar

Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, September 4

The response to the Aam Aadmi Party’s sixth “Punjab Jodo” rally held at the Akali stronghold Nakodar this evening is set to rattle the ruling party.

The recent splits and upheavals in the state and the national organisational structure seems to have had no impact on the minds of Jats, Dalits, youth and women who, donning AAP caps and carrying brooms, reached the rally in large numbers on motorcycles. Residents of surrounding villages even hired buses on their own to reach the venue.

The huge tent had to be extended to accommodate more people just before the leaders arrived. Party convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur said a “jungle raj” prevailed in the state. AAP’s Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann seconded the same saying, “Even if a nun is raped in West Bengal, culprits are nabbed from Ludhiana.”

Party’s Punjab in charge Sanjay Singh alleged leaders of the ruling party were openly giving shelter to drug smugglers. “Give us a chance to rule and we will ensure that they are put behind bars,” he claimed.

AAP’s SC/ST Welfare Minister in Delhi Sandeep Kumar and another MLA from Delhi Jarnail Singh were among others who participated in the rally.

Party leaders flayed Badals, saying that they were running a private limited firm in the name of government and had stakes in every business here. AAP held a rally at Nawanshahr in the afternoon. The next stops are Ludhiana and Moga.