The real sacrilege took place in Bargari and Behbal Kalan — action must be taken there.
“The Central Government itself has not been able to achieve more than 50 days under MGNREGA — how will it ensure 125 days of employment guarantee?”
Punjab Newsline, Chandigarh-
Reacting to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) summoning Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, former Education Minister and MLA Pargat Singh said that it was not a prudent decision from any side. He stated that the government should not involve itself in this matter, as it is not related to sacrilege.
He added, “The real sacrilege happened in Bargari and Behbal Kalan. Despite claiming to have approved prosecution against the Dera Sacha Sauda, the Punjab Government has taken no concrete action. The government is avoiding responsibility where the real sacrilege took place and is instead politicizing internal religious affairs. These actions are not in the interest of the nation, society, or the Sikh community.”
Speaking on the Central Government’s changes in the MGNREGA framework and related corruption issues, Pargat Singh said, “The reality is that during the BJP government’s tenure, even 50 days of employment out of the guaranteed 100 could not be achieved. Now the limit has been increased to 125 days, which is unsustainable. The Centre should have focused first on achieving the 100-day target effectively and reducing corruption within the scheme.”
He further added that in the past three years, the Punjab Government has achieved an average of only 38 days of employment under MGNREGA, and only 26 days this year so far. “Last year, a total of ₹99,000 crore was spent on MGNREGA across India, of which ₹10,000 crore came from state governments. In Punjab, ₹1,450 crore was spent, including ₹99 crore from the state’s coffers. If the current trend continues, Punjab’s share this year will rise to ₹550 crore,” he said.
Highlighting the scheme’s original purpose, Pargat Singh reminded that MGNREGA was launched by former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh to provide employment to the unemployed and poor women. “Around 22 crore people across India are associated with it,” he noted.
Warning the government, he said, “Anything the government truly wishes to do can be done within six months. People of Punjab are already disheartened. A good government is one where criminals are punished and law-abiding citizens can live a dignified life. However, under the AAP government, Punjab has turned into a police state. The police have become mere puppets of the government, which is neither healthy for the state nor for the country.”
Commenting on the U.S. actions regarding Venezuela and threats to raise tariffs against India, Pargat Singh said, “The current global geopolitical situation is extremely dangerous and taking a wrong direction. The United States should not act in this manner.”