With the AAP seeking the support of other political parties against the Centre's ordinance on administration of services in Delhi, senior Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa on Tuesday said the ruling party in Punjab does not deserve the grand old party's solidarity for "unleashing a witch-hunt campaign" against its leaders and workers in the state.
Bajwa urged the Congress high-command to take this aspect into consideration before taking a decision on extending support to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) after the BJP-led Centre promulgated an ordinance on the Delhi services issue.
"In order to strangulate the voice of the main opposition party -- the Congress party -- in Punjab, the AAP government in Punjab stooped to the lowest level and lodged false FIRs against Congress leaders and workers, right from the former chief minister to village sarpanches and panches," Bajwa alleged in a statement here.
"I appeal to the INC high-command to consult the leadership of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Gujarat and Karnataka before even considering helping AAP. It was instrumental in giving a political edge to BJP in these states. AAP is the B-team of BJP and they are two sides of the same coin. Let us not protect a wolf in sheep's clothing," he said.
The AAP deserves no solidarity from his party as it had unleashed "a ruthless witch-hunt campaign against the Congress MLAs, leaders and workers in Punjab and made their lives hell by misusing the police and investigation agencies," Bajwa alleged.
The leader of opposition in the Punjab Assembly also wondered that when all previous Delhi chief ministers, including Sheila Dikshit of the Congress, discharged their duties without raising any hue and cry, why is the current chief minister, Arvind Kejriwal, "creating a commotion now".
"AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal categorically sided with the BJP when the state of Jammu and Kashmir was dismembered and reduced to Union territories, leaving its people disenfranchised for five years. Why didn't AAP consider it a murder of democracy back then?" Bajwa asked.
"I believe it is a friendly game between team A (BJP) and team B (AAP) and we should let them play," he added.
The AAP is locked in a bitter tussle with the BJP-led Centre since the Union government promulgated an ordinance on Friday to create a National Capital Civil Service Authority, which will handle the transfer of IAS and DANICS-cadre officers and also matters of disciplinary proceedings against them.
The ordinance essentially overturned a Supreme Court order passed last week, giving the control of services, excluding those related to police, public order and land, to the elected government in the national capital.
(With inputs from agencies)