CHANDIGARH: “Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi did not come to release the Congress manifesto for Punjab as they wanted to avoid question about SYL issue,” Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader H S Phoolka claimed on Tuesday.“Congress falsely promises to protect the waters of Punjab but the fact is that it was Congress leader Indira Gandhi who initiated the construction work of SYL in presence of Punjab Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh at Kapuri,” added Phoolka. Challenging the rival party, Phoolka said that if the Congress was serious about SYL issue then Sonia and Rahul must give statement in favor of Punjab in next 24 hours.Phoolka said the Congress chose to release the manifesto from New Delhi. “AAP released all its manifestos from the hinterland of Punjab making it amply clear which party is strongly rooted to Punjab’s culture and tradition,” he added.The AAP nominee from Dakha assembly segment in Ludhiana for the upcoming Punjab assembly polls said that Amarinder had promised one job for each household in Punjab in the manifesto. By that yardstick he would have to provide nearly 55 Lakh jobs in Punjab which was nothing but a promise to mislead the people of the state, he added.Phoolka said even the Centre could employ only 50 lakh after having the maximum recruitment in the biggest departments such as the railways and the armed forces. “This clearly shows that Capt Amarinder is making false promises to only to lure voters. He does not even know that there are about 4 Lakh employees in the Punjab government of which nearly one lakh are pensioners,” said he added.He also ridiculed the Congress manifesto for promising end of VIP culture and red beacons atop official vehicles of the chief minister, ministers and other government functionaries. “I am glad that the Congress, which ushered in the VIP culture into the Indian politics and carried on with it for nearly 70 years is now talking of getting rid of it. It is a sheer sham and the Congress is forced to make such promises only under pressure from AAP which does not believe in VIP culture at all,” said Phoolka.“Amarinder promises to abolish drugs trade in Punjab within four weeks after coming to power. Isn’t it laughable? The man who saved his nephew and Akali minister Bikram Singh Majithia from the CBI probe into Rs 6,000 cr drug racket in the state is now talking about abolishing drugs,” he added.‘No ambition to be CM face’H S Phoolka said he had no ambition of becoming the chief ministerial candidate of Punjab and the party will take the call after the elections. He said, “It is not in my nature to make such claims and it is for the party leadership to decide,” he said.‘1984, sacrilege not covered in SC order’On the recently court ruling against use of religion issues during campaigning, Phoolka said issue like the 1984 Sikh riots and sacrilege incidents in Punjab did not fall in this category. “The 1984 riots is a human rights issue and I will keep raising it,” he said.