Chandigarh, Feb 2 (PTI) Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar on Monday called out the AAP and the Congress for their lack of economic understanding, claiming that they have “failed” to comprehend the true spirit of the Budget.
Criticising the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress for their stance on the Union Budget 2026-27, Jakhar said that the Budget was inspired by the egalitarian philosophy of Guru Ravidas, calling it a concrete step and a strong foundation toward building a developed India.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned yesterday that cities like Jalandhar, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Hoshiarpur, Moga, and Ferozepur would benefit from this budget, which will accelerate their development,” Jakhar said here.
Jakhar questioned Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann about when he last met with the prime minister regarding Punjab’s demands and claimed that Mann made factually incorrect claims that the state received nothing from the Budget.
He further alleged that during a previous meeting chaired by the Union finance minister, Punjab’s finance minister did not present any budget proposals or development requests; he only asked for an increase in the state’s borrowing limit.
Jakhar said that under Modi’s leadership, this Budget will give new momentum to equality and development.
He alleged that Chief Minister Mann, out of fear of AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal, avoided meeting the prime minister, even when he visited Punjab, thus violating established conventions.
Jakhar suggested that Mann should have met with the prime minister to discuss Punjab’s additional demands.
Regarding the Budget proposals, Jakhar explained that Punjab could receive funds for crop diversification or high-value crops only if the state government submits appropriate plans.
He added that the Centre has allocated a substantial Budget for fisheries, animal husbandry, and fertiliser subsidies. Punjab, due to its high fertiliser consumption, receives a significant share of the Rs 1.70 lakh crore allocated for fertiliser subsidies.
Similarly, a large portion of the Budget allocated for government procurement of food grains reaches the pockets of Punjab’s farmers, he stated.
Jakhar also noted that under the Khelo India initiative, as sports are promoted nationwide, the sports goods produced will largely be manufactured in Jalandhar, Punjab, and questioned whether this would not benefit the state.
He pointed out that the free trade agreement between the Government of India and the European Union would greatly benefit Punjab’s MSME, textile, and sports industries.
On rural development, he mentioned that compared to previous allocations, the central government would now directly deposit nearly double the funds into the accounts of panchayats, without discrimination.
Jakhar acknowledged the current issue of youth unemployment in Punjab and stated that this Budget aims to create new job opportunities.
He also highlighted that textile parks have been announced in this Budget and questioned whether the Punjab government has made any efforts to establish such a park within the state.
Additionally, he asked whether the proposal to build women’s hostels in every district for women’s empowerment and trauma centres in every district hospital would not benefit Punjab. PTI CHS MPL MPL
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