Chandigarh, Ahead of the bypoll to the Jalandhar Lok Sabha seat, Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu on Saturday accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab of patronizing the liquor and sand mafia in the state and said it was selling lies. came to power. He also alleged that the Bhagwant Mann government had increased the debt burden on the state by taking a loan of Rs 25,000 crore. The death of Congress MP Santokh Singh Choudhary in January necessitated the by-election for the Jalandhar seat. Voting for the by-election is to be held on May 10.

Congress has nominated Chaudhary's wife Karamjit Kaur, while AAP has fielded Sushil Rinku from this seat. Talking to reporters in Jalandhar, Navjot Singh Sidhu alleged that AAP came to power in Punjab by selling lies to the people. "Today, the people of Punjab are feeling cheated," he claimed.

Navjot Singh Sidhu alleged

Navjot Singh Sidhu alleged that the AAP government has not fulfilled the promise of providing financial assistance of Rs 1000 per month to women. Sidhu said, “AAP had promised that it would end the menace of drugs within a month of coming to power.” He said that but now Punjab has become an ocean of drugs. Significantly, Sidhu was released from Patiala Central Jail on April 1 after being in jail for about 10 months in a 1988 road rage case.

Targeting the ruling party in the state, he said that AAP had promised to end the liquor mafia, but now the state's liquor mafia has increased the prices of liquor by 25 per cent. Hitting out at Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Sidhu alleged, "You are the patron and head of this mafia." On the issue of electricity, Navjot Singh Sidhu said, "When you made electricity up to 300 units free, did you tell the public Was told that PSPCL (Punjab State Electricity Corporation Limited) is going to be mortgaged? PSPCL owes Rs 20,000 crore to banks.