Aam Aadmi Party and controversy, it seems, go hand-in-hand. Once again, its controversial leader Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday found himself with his foot in his mouth by virtually equating the “have-nots” with the beggars.

Mann, interacting with the media on the sidelines of a conference regarding Tohras joining AAP, said that the Badals were preparing “cards for beggars”.

Already facing the parliamentary panel inquiry for his “live streaming” act of the Parliament Mann was referring to the blue cards, meant for the below poverty line people, to avail benefits of free wheat and pulses under Government’s ambitious Atta-Dal scheme.

“Common man does not need these cards of beggars…Badals boast of making this much cards…this means that they have turned this much people into poor who could not afford atta and dal,” said Mann.

As the scribes, present during the conference, repeatedly asked Mann whether he was calling the blue-card holders as beggars, he clarified that he did not mean that but “want to say that by adopting such tactics of distributing atta, dal and utensils, they are not going to win this time”. Reacting to Punjab government’s decision to distribute utensils to the poor, Mann said: “This shows that they get to know only now that people don’t have utensils…they have done it earlier also by promising people to give pateele, bartan…common people need jobs…they need employment.”

Expressing “shock and disbelief” over Mann’s statement, the ruling SAD said: “This statement, coming on the heels of Arvind Kejriwal's opposition to the reservation for dalits, SC, STs and backward classes, shows that AAP is stricken by high caste cancer”.

“This man is drunk on high caste arrogance and desperately needs to be sent to some rehabilitation center for cure of casteist intoxication. He doesn't realize that it is the duty of every government to stand by every needy and poor person, especially those who are historically disadvantaged,” said SAD general secretary and spokesperson Harcharan Singh Bains.

He said that the government is a trustee of people's money for the people, and people don't become beggars by receiving help and facilities out of their own money. “We are shocked  at the mindset of the AAP high ups.” said Bains.

Bains declared that all pro-poor policies of the government would not only continue but would even be enhanced as per requirement despite AAP's opposition to it. “We will help the poorest of the poor with whatever help they need and we can offer,” he said.

Bains added that SAD was not going to be deterred by “someone intoxicated with high caste attitude of looking down upon those who need and deserve help”.

SAD spokesperson said that the party found it hard to believe Mann’s statement in which he had said that by pursuing policies of access to free facilities for the poor, SAD-BJP government was treating Punjabis as beggars. “This is an indication of the mindset of the AAP leadership,” he said.