Phagwara, Jun 18 (PTI) Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday launched a blistering attack on the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Congress, asserting that the era of political parties taking turns to rule the state is over and that those responsible for betraying its trust will be held accountable.
During a gathering during ‘Lok Milni’ (public interaction) in Phagwara, the chief minister said while the AAP’s ‘jhaadu’ (election symbol) is cleaning Punjab’s political system, the Akalis and Congress, two sides of the same coin, are struggling for political survival after decades of pursuing “vested interests”.
Pointing out that the Akali leadership is “misleading” people and questioning their credibility, Mann said those who “lied” before the Akal Takht Sahib cannot be loyal to anyone.
He further remarked that the Congress is facing internal infighting while Punjab is witnessing unprecedented progress in education, healthcare, power and welfare under the people-centric governance of the AAP government.
“Gone are the days when these parties used to play musical chairs and wait for their turn of power. Actually, these parties safeguarded each other’s interests during their days in power due to which their misdeeds were never exposed.
“However, now the people have elected AAP and the symbol of this party, the ‘jhaadu’ (broom), is cleansing the political system of the state. The day is not far when the Akalis will be behind bars for their sins,” he said.
“The Akalis and the Congress are two sides of the same coin. They are not concerned about the people but are concerned only about their vested interests,” he alleged.
Lashing out at the Akali leadership, Mann said, “Sukhbir Badal is not aware of the ground realities because throughout his life, he has lived in a secured environment with luxuries and opulence.
Sukhbir Singh Badal is a convent-educated political leader of Punjab who is not aware of the basic topography of the state but wants to attain political power in Punjab,” he said, while taking a dig at the SAD chief.
Referring to the issue of sacrilege, Mann said, “Whenever incidents of sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib Ji took place, the psyche of millions of people was deeply hurt. The Almighty has blessed me with the wisdom and strength to bring the anti-sacrilege Act.” The chief minister accused the Akalis of misusing religion for their vested interests.
“The Jathedars are appointed from the pockets of the Akalis due to which they are indulging in politics. These people have no agenda and their sole aim is to defame me by hook or by crook.
“People are aware of the dubious character of these leaders and they will never get swayed by their theatrics,” said Mann.
Taking a swipe at the Congress, he said it has no vision for the people and the state. Their only aim is to “plunder” the wealth of Punjab by assuming power but their dreams will never be fulfilled, he said.
“The Congress is a divided house that will collapse due to its infighting,” he alleged. PTI CHS KSS KSS
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.