Punjab CM accuses AAP of staying silent on COVID-19 rumours in state, says party is 'furthering political agenda'

Chandigarh: Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh on Friday accused the Aam Aadmi Party of furthering its political agenda instead of condemning the coronavirus disinformation campaign being run in the state’s villages. The chief minister also dismissed the AAP’s claim of successful coronavirus management by the Arvind Kejriwal government in Delhi. Attacking state AAP leaders, the chief minister said they seemed “more focused on launching a personal attack” against him rather than “condemning the COVID disinformation campaign” being run by anti-social elements in the state’s villages. “This showed the extent to which AAP is ready to stoop to further their political agenda in the state, where they have completely lost the confidence of people,” the chief minister said in a statement. Several rumours, including alleged organ harvesting of coronavirus patients, have posed a challenge to the Punjab government, which on Friday launched an awareness campaign to counter the rumours. Hitting out at AAP, Singh said though its leaders talk of working together to fight the unprecedented crisis, they are “blatantly and shamelessly ignoring persistent attempts by Pakistan to foment a fresh trouble by spreading false propaganda over the pandemic”. “Not a word from AAP on the fake videos, which appear to have emanated from Pakistan to spread fear and disinformation among people on COVID. No reaction to the arrest of an AAP activist for disseminating such a video,” the chief minister said. “This clearly indicates that they do not want people to become aware of the fabrication but in fact want to leverage to their political benefit,” he alleged. Reacting to Kejriwal’s remarks that AAP workers will go to Punjab villages with oximetres to check oxygen levels of people, Singh said it “exposed their desperation to woo people”. “Unlike the Kejriwal government, which had to beg for help from the Centre when cases peaked in the national capital, Punjab is fully prepared to handle the crisis,” he said, adding that over 4,500 people have died in Delhi against Punjab’s 1,690 so far. “The pathetic situation in Delhi is further evident in its case load, 6th in the country as against Punjab’’s 17th position, and 14,151 beds against 21,431 in Punjab,” he said. “As far as testing is concerned, from 10 April to 2 September, Delhi had increased testing by 154 times and Punjab by 519.1 times,” the chief minister claimed. “No wonder Delhi is witnessing another surge even as AAP is busy touting the Delhi model as an example for other states,” he remarked.