Mann knows little beyond cracking jokes, says Haryana CM in Punjab

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Sunday said his Punjab counterpart knows little beyond cracking jokes and not enough to run a Government. "Jokes can run cinema halls, but they cannot run governments," Saini said about Bhagwant Mann, a former standup comedian.

Meanwhile, Punjab BJP chief Kewal Singh Dhillon, promised all-round development of the state if his party is voted to power, and claimed that Mann will not contest from Dhuri constituency in the 2027 Assembly polls. Addressing a public gathering here, Saini said that the enthusiasm of the people of Dhuri indicates a strong wave of change in the State. The BJP leader alleged that the AAP leaders portrayed themselves as revolutionaries, but in reality, they misled the public. Dhuri is Mann's constituency, yet he has distanced himself not only from Punjab but also from Dhuri, he said.

"Punjab was once far ahead of many States in terms of development, but political parties pursuing their own interests have pushed it into the category of laggards. Today, the war against drugs in Punjab is being fought only through newspaper ads, while little is being done on the ground," Saini said. He said Punjab's farmers are the nation's food providers and they trusted the Aam Aadmi Party in 2022, but got neither the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for all their crops, nor compensated for crop losses.

This has been the "biggest betrayal" of farmers, he said.

"In contrast, Haryana is the first State in the country where the Government procures all crops at MSP. Haryana is far ahead in compensating farmers for losses caused by natural disasters," Saini said.

The Haryana chief minister said that last year, after damage to crops caused by rains and floods, Haryana provided financial assistance worth Rs 16,500 crore to farmers.

Dhillon, in his turn, accused the Mann government of betraying the people of the state.

"Take it from me, the chief minister will run away. He will not fight from here," he asserted.

Speaking about the "Haryana model" of governance, Dhillon said the BJP government in the neighbouring state is giving MSP on all crops.

"It is just a matter of 4-5 months. All crops will be procured. Crop diversification will take place," Dhillon said.

He also accused the AAP government of not giving dearness allowance arrears to government employees.

Saini said Punjab had only recently freed itself from Congress, as AAP came on the back of grand promises.

"Innocent people trusted those promises, and Punjab continues to suffer the consequences. In contrast, the BJP believes not merely in making promises but in implementing them on the ground," he said.

Saini said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the central government has launched several schemes for the welfare of the poor, farmers, youth, women, and disadvantaged sections of society, benefiting millions across the country.

"Modi Ji envisions a developed India, and if the people of Punjab support the BJP, Punjab too can become a developed state," he said.