Takes jibe that Turncoats sidelined senior BJP leaders during PM’s visit to Punjab
False data used to mislead the central government and people of Punjab
Free seeds by Akali not reliable as their fake seeds in the past devastated agriculture
Punjab Newsline, Chandigarh-
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Friday strongly criticized the opposition parties for indulging in petty politics during the ongoing crisis of devastating floods in the state, instead of expressing solidarity with the people suffering from this disaster.
Interacting with the media persons here today, the Chief Minister said that it is extremely unfortunate that while people from across the country and even abroad are standing firmly with Punjab to help the flood victims, opposition parties are more interested in exploiting the crisis for political gain rather than showing unity. He said that the Punjab government has submitted a detailed report to the central government on the flood damages. Likewise, Bhagwant Singh Mann said that the state government has sought funds to support the rehabilitation of affected people.
The Chief Minister said that when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Punjab to assess the flood situation, former Congressmen who recently joined BJP, did not allow Punjab Cabinet Ministers Hardeep Singh Mundian and Gurmeet Singh Khudian to even present the state’s case before the Prime Minister. He further stated that instead of standing with Punjab in this difficult time, BJP leaders are misleading the central government and obstructing central assistance to the state. Bhagwant Singh Mann criticised BJP state president Sunil Jakhar, Ravneet Singh Bittu, Sushil Rinku and other defectors for even sidelining veteran BJP leaders.
The Chief Minister said that these leaders took front-row positions during the PM’s visit, reducing long-standing BJP members to the background. Responding with facts to false claims about the state’s disaster relief funds, he said that since April 2022, Punjab has received only ₹1,582 crore from the central government, out of which ₹649 crore has been spent on relief efforts. Bhagwant Singh Mann pointed out that the Centre has yet to release ₹8,000 crore from Punjab’s Rural Development Fund (RDF) but the BJP leaders in Punjab have never raised their voice about this with the central government.
Taking a jibe at Akali leader Sukhbir Badal’s announcement to distribute free wheat seeds to flood-affected farmers, the Chief Minister said that Akali promises cannot be trusted as these leaders are not reliable. He recalled that during the Akali government, fake seeds were distributed to farmers, which caused widespread damage to agriculture. Bhagwant Singh Mann challenged opposition leaders for an open debate about the flood relief efforts and other pressing issues facing Punjab.