In a verbal attack on the BJP, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday urged the people of the State to reject “anti-Punjab forces”, while the BJP took a dig at the AAP government, asserting that rampant drug menace, crumbling economy, misgovernance and unkept promises had marked its two-year “misrule” of the State.
Mr. Mann urged the people of the State to reject the forces that had rejected Punjab’s tableau for the Republic Day parade. “They had rejected the tableaus of the State during the Republic Day parade, irrespective of the fact that 90% of the sacrifices for the freedom struggle were made by Punjabis,” he said, adding that this “stepmotherly treatment” against the State was intolerable as “they don’t have any right to reject the tableaus showcasing patriotism and nationalism in the State”.
Mr. Mann was addressing a gathering at Khatkar Kalan in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district on the completion of two years in office.
“Today [Saturday], both freedom and democracy are in danger as the Union government is leaving no stone unturned to sabotage them,” he said, adding that the voice of the Opposition was being muzzled and Central agencies were being used to arm-twist them and mute their voice.
Hitting out at the AAP, BJP national spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill said the AAP government has pushed Punjab into the “darkest era” in its two years of rule.
“All the sections of society, particularly farmers and industry, are extremely perturbed by the wrong policies of the AAP,” he said, adding that in the upcoming Lok Sabha election, voters of Punjab would hold the AAP government accountable for their long list of acts of “omission and commission”. He said that not giving ₹1,000 per month to 1.31 crore women voters was the “biggest betrayal” committed by the AAP government.
“Failure to wipe out drugs from Punjab within four months of government formation is a broken promise that has far-reaching implications. Also, it was shameful how Mr. Mann was indulging in wasteful expenditure on fake publicity and facilitating the air travel of his super boss Arvind Kejriwal,” Mr. Shergill said.
He said the AAP had back-stabbed Punjabis by pushing the economy into reverse gear. “From debt of ₹2.81 lakh crore when the AAP assumed power, the projected debt for the fiscal ending 2024-25 has been ₹3.74 lakh crore. The figures themselves speak that under the AAP government, Punjab’s economy is crumbling,” the BJP spokesperson said, adding that the AAP government had proved to be a “disaster for Punjab”.
