CHANDIGARH: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab President and Cabinet Minister Aman Arora on Thursday said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah must come to Punjab with answers, not “jumlas”, as he raised six crucial questions related to Punjab’s economy, farmers, flood relief, industry and the ongoing fight against drugs ahead of Shah’s March 14 visit to the state.
The AAP Punjab State President said the people of Punjab expect clarity from the Union Government on long-pending financial dues, compensation for massive GST losses, delayed flood relief, threats posed by the proposed India–US trade agreement to farmers and traders, the Centre’s role in tackling drug smuggling along the border, and whether a special industrial package will be provided to revive Punjab’s economy.
Addressing a press release at Punjab Bhavan on Thursday, AAP Punjab President and Cabinet Minister Aman Arora on Thursday said that as the 2027 Assembly elections draw closer, leaders of various political parties have begun visiting Punjab and trying to mislead the people of the state for their political gains. “Although every political party and leader has the right to visit Punjab and they are always welcome here, the people of Punjab are fully aware of the intentions behind such visits,” he added.
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Referring to the recent visit of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Aman Arora stated, “Recently Rahul Gandhi also visited Punjab. His agenda was about MGNREGA, but how much he actually spoke about the concerns of poor labourers is clear to everyone.”
Aman Arora also referred to the upcoming visit of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to Punjab on March 14 and said, “Just as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and the entire BJP have misled the people of the country with slogans and ‘jumlas’ in the past, there is a possibility that similar ‘jumlas’ may be heard again during this visit. However, I hope that Amit Shah will show some seriousness and goodwill towards Punjab and speak about something that is genuinely in the interest of the state.”
The AAP Punjab President said that as the state president of the AAP and a cabinet minister, he would like to ask six important questions on behalf of the three crore people of Punjab during Amit Shah’s visit. He said these questions are related to Punjab’s economy, development and the effort to make Punjab prosperous and vibrant again.
Highlighting the issue of pending funds, Aman Arora said, “Punjab’s farmers work day and night and grow crops with their hard-earned sweat and blood before bringing them to the mandis. The central government has withheld ?8,300 crore of the Rural Development Fund (RDF) and Market Development Fund (MDF) from Punjab for nearly four years. This money was meant to be spent on rural infrastructure, rural development, and the construction of roads and mandis. I hope that during the March 14 rally Amit Shah will announce that the central government will immediately release these ?8,300 crore to Punjab.”
Raising the issue of GST compensation, the AAP Punjab State President stated, “When the central government introduced the GST regime in 2017, Punjab, which is the food bowl of the country, was given GST compensation for five years, but that too was discontinued in 2022. As a result, Punjab has suffered a loss of approximately ?55,000 to ?60,000 crore. If the central government has taken any decision to compensate for this loss, it should inform the people of Punjab. If not, at least promise that before stepping into the 2027 election battle, the loss faced by Punjab will be compensated.”
Referring to the devastating floods last year, Aman Arora stated, “Punjab faced some of the worst floods in its history last year. PM Modi visited the state, conducted an aerial survey and himself announced ?1,600 crore as relief. It is unfortunate that not even ?16 out of those ?1,600 crore has reached Punjab so far. Before coming to Punjab, Amit Shah should ensure that this ?1,600 crore is released, or at least announce when the funds will be provided. Since the money has not yet been released, the people of Punjab deserve a clear explanation.”
Speaking about the concerns of farmers, Aman Arora stated, “Earlier the central government attempted to destroy Punjab’s agriculture through the three black farm laws, but the farmers of Punjab and the people of the state presented strong resistance and forced the government to withdraw them. Now the same attempt is being made in a refined form through the so-called India–US trade agreement. Through this deal the central government is bowing before the United States and accepting conditions that will cause serious harm to farmers across the country, small traders and especially the farmers of Punjab. The BJP leaders, the party and the Government of India must explain what interests or compulsions lie behind this one-sided deal.”
Addressing the issue of drugs, Aman Arora asserted, “Punjab has been fighting a war against drugs for the past year, but this battle cannot be won by Punjab alone. On one side there is a 543-kilometre international border, and on the other side there are neighbouring states ruled by the BJP, whether it is Rajasthan or Haryana. Along with this, it has been seen many times that drugs enter Punjab through ports in Gujarat. The central government and the BJP must explain how they are contributing or planning to contribute to this war being fought by the Punjab Government and three crore Punjabis. Punjab will be waiting to hear the answer.”
Raising the issue of industry, Aman Arora said, “For a long time neighbouring hill states such as Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Uttarakhand were given industrial incentives for nearly two decades, which caused heavy losses to Punjab’s industry. At the same time, with the international border remaining closed, trade with other countries has also been affected. The central government must clarify whether it plans to provide any special package to protect Punjab’s industries and traders under these circumstances.”
Concluding, Aman Arora said, “Amit Shah is welcome in Punjab, but he must answer these questions before leaving. He should not return after merely making speeches, offering false promises or indulging in rhetoric. Punjab’s wounds are already fresh on many issues. Sometimes the matter of Chandigarh arises, sometimes the issue of Punjab’s waters, and the BJP and the central government have repeatedly aggravated these concerns. The wounds are already very fresh, and they should not be reopened further. Instead, they should be healed.”
