Opponents trying to defame me: CM Mann
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Sunday alleged that the opposition leaders are trying to defame him and looking for an opportunity “to loot Punjab once again after years of filling their own coffers”.
During a “Lok Milni” programme at Ghudda village in Bathinda, he claimed that the opposition is troubled because his government is spending money for people’s welfare.
Taking on the BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), CM Mann said that the two erstwhile allies are once again moving towards an alliance.
He said while some leaders belonged to the “Modi quota” and others to the “Rahul Gandhi quota”, he alone belonged to the people’s quota.
Mann alleged that the opposition parties had a “dubious track record of working against Punjab and its people” and could never be forgiven for their actions.
“The BJP has always adopted an anti-Punjab mindset and treated the state unfairly on issues concerning its rights and interests. Whether it is the issue of Panjab University, Chandigarh, Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), the Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal, the Harike canal, Republic Day tableaux, Rural Development Funds (RDF) or border area funds, the BJP has always treated Punjab unfairly,” he added.
The chief minister alleged, “The hands of the BJP are drenched with the blood of more than 700 farmers of Punjab who attained martyrdom while protesting against the draconian farm laws. The people of Punjab will never forget this.”
Reminding the people of the track record of the Congress, he said “it was the same party which had rolled tanks into Sri Akal Takht Sahib”.
“Despite remaining in power in Punjab, the Congress did nothing to check the drug menace that spread during its tenure. The Congress also failed to punish those responsible for sacrilege incidents in the state,” he claimed.
“The Congress has no moral right to seek the trust of Punjabis. It is the same party that used tanks against Sri Akal Takht Sahib and witnessed the killing of innocent Sikhs across the country. When the Congress was in power in Punjab, drugs spread among the youth, but the party did nothing to stop this menace. Even in sacrilege cases, the Congress failed to deliver justice. Punjab cannot forget this history,” Mann said.
Taking a dig at SAD, the chief minister said, “The Akali Dal is now begging for an alliance with the BJP only because it wants to return to power. There is no ideology, no vision for Punjab and no concern for the people behind this alliance. Their only objective is to grab power. But the people of Punjab are aware of their past and will not be fooled again.”
Lashing out at the SAD president, Mann claimed, “Throughout his life, Sukhbir Singh Badal has lived in a secure environment surrounded by luxury. He does not understand the ground realities of Punjab. He is a convent-educated political leader who does not even know the basic topography of the state, yet he wants to rule Punjab... he cannot even differentiate between the basic crops of Punjab because he has scant knowledge of the issues faced by our farmers.”
Taking a jibe at the “infighting” within the Congress, he said that while Congress leaders were fighting among themselves for power, the state government was working tirelessly for the well-being of the people.
“The fight of AAP is for quality education, good healthcare, employment and welfare of the people. Our fight is to improve the lives of Punjabis. On the other hand, Congress leaders are fighting among themselves for power and do not even see eye to eye with one another. They have no vision for Punjab,” he said.
