Punjab Newsline | Chandigarh
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab on Tuesday strongly condemned the attack on a bus operating under the Punjab Government’s Chief Minister Tirath Yatra Scheme, alleging that the incident was carried out by individuals linked to the Congress party in an attempt to disrupt one of the state government's flagship welfare initiatives.
Addressing a press conference along with AAP leader Shaminder Singh Khinda, Punjab AAP Media In-charge Baltej Pannu claimed that the Bhagwant Mann Government’s pilgrimage scheme has emerged as one of the state's most successful public welfare programmes, enabling lakhs of people to undertake free religious pilgrimages.
Pannu accused the Congress of being unable to accept the growing popularity of the scheme. He said opposition parties had repeatedly predicted the failure of the AAP government, first claiming it would not survive three months, then one year, but the government is now successfully completing its five-year term.
He also alleged that whenever Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann undergoes routine medical check-ups, opposition parties spread baseless rumours in an attempt to mislead the public.
Referring to the recent attack on the pilgrimage bus, Pannu claimed that the two accused arrested by the Amritsar Rural Police—Gurpinder Singh alias Lali and Baljit Singh Shisha—have links with the Congress party. He alleged that the bus was attacked without any provocation and suggested that the motive was resentment over the appreciation the scheme has received from beneficiaries after returning from their religious journeys.
Pannu further alleged that two other Congress-linked individuals, identified as Sunny and Harpreet Singh, attempted to pressure the police into releasing the accused and halting legal proceedings. He said the police are investigating whether there was a larger conspiracy behind the attack and who may have instigated the accused.
Reiterating the government's stand, Pannu said the Bhagwant Mann Government remains committed to continuing the Chief Minister Tirath Yatra Scheme and will not allow anyone to obstruct a program that has provided spiritual fulfilment and happiness to lakhs of Punjabis.
Speaking on the occasion, Shaminder Singh Khinda said that more than 3.5 lakh devotees have already benefited from the scheme by visiting major religious destinations, including Sri Anandpur Sahib, Mata Naina Devi Ji, and Sri Darbar Sahib.
He announced that the government is planning to expand the scheme by introducing pilgrimage services to Haridwar, Rishikesh, Mathura, Vrindavan, Khatu Shyam, and Salasar Dham in the coming days.
