Dediapada (Gujarat), Jul 24 (PTI) Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday accused the BJP of snatching natural resources on which tribals are dependent, and alleged leaders of the ruling saffron party are “full of arrogance and neck deep in corruption”.
Mann emphasised that while his party AAP’s politics is centred around issues like education, hospitals, electricity, and water supply, the BJP is only interested in making false promises and talking about hatred and violence.
The senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader asked tribals in Gujarat to ‘gherao’ (lay siege to) offices of state government departments and confront officials found to be snatching their rights.
He was addressing a rally in Dediapada town of Gujarat’s Narmada district in support of jailed AAP MLA Chaitar Vasava, a tribal. Former Delhi CM and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal also addressed the rally. Vasava is the MLA from Dediapada.
Mann, who took over as CM in March 2022, told the gathering the AAP administration in Punjab has provided government jobs to over 55,000 youths in just three years, while Gujarat’s tribal youths have been been deprived of such opportunities because of frequent leaks of recruitment exam papers.
“Unlike (BJP-ruled) Gujarat, not a single paper got leaked in Punjab. Jobs were given in a transparent manner as no recommendation of any minister or leader was entertained. If you bring a strong government here, no paper will be leaked,” said Mann.
Taking a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi without mentioning his name, the Punjab CM said the PM’s claim to be a tea seller in the past seems to be dubious as all his promises have turned out to be mere “jumla” (hollow assurance).
“They had promised to pay Rs 15 lakh to each citizen and bring back black money (from overseas). Their every promise was a jumla and now I doubt if he really knows how to make tea. I guess he does not know…The country is being looted in front of our eyes,” Mann maintained.
He opined that unlike the BJP, the AAP talks abut people-centric issues.
“We don’t make false promises. We talk about education, hospitals, electricity, and water supply. We don’t not talk about hatred and violence like them,” he averred.
Mann accused the BJP, which is ruling Gujarat for nearly three decades, of snatching natural resources on which tribals are dependent.
“They (BJP leaders) are full of arrogance and neck deep in corruption. Adivasis are the real owners of the country’s jal, jungle and jameen’ (water, forest and land). But, they are selling all three. They are selling the entire country,” the AAP politician alleged.
Referring to MLA Vasava’s arrest by the Gujarat police, Mann noted the BJP had tried to intimidate AAP cadres by arresting party’s national leaders, including Kejriwal, in the recent past.
The AAP legislator was arrested in early July on charges of attempt to murder after he allegedly attacked a taluka panchayat functionary at Dediapada in Narmada district, police have said.
“I want to tell the BJP that we are not scared of anyone. They think we are poor and we can be bought. Don’t be under any wrong impression that you will be able to suppress common citizens. They forget that people can bring anyone down (from power),” asserted Mann. PTI PJT PD RSY
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.