Chandigarh, Sep 14 (PTI) Taking a dig at his Haryana counterpart Nayab Singh Saini, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday said that “he feels he will win the hearts of Punjabis by sporting fake turbans, which is not possible”.
Mann’s comment didn’t go down well with Saini, who said the AAP leader must apologise to the people of Punjab for the “unfortunate” remark.
For the past many months, the Haryana chief minister was often seen donning a turban at various functions in his home state as well during his visits to poll-bound Punjab.
At an event in Patiala on Monday, Saini slammed the AAP government on various fronts, including the drug issue. He also said that Haryana, which came into existence in 1966, has today moved far ahead of Punjab in terms of economic progress, citing various figures to back his claim.
At a press conference here, Mann was asked about Saini frequently visiting Punjab and also presenting various comparative figures.
The Punjab chief minister replied, “He is from Haryana, isn’t he? He has kept a turban in his vehicle. When he comes to Punjab from Panchkula, he wears the turban. He feels that he will win the hearts of Punjabis by sporting fake turbans. But that is not possible.” Asked to comment on Mann’s charge at an event organised by the Punjab BJP here in the evening, Saini termed the “fake turbans” remark highly unfortunate.
“For us, the turban represents respect for our gurus. It is a matter of faith, belief and reverence for us. It is a tradition bestowed upon us by our gurus. We are running our government by following the teachings of our gurus. If Bhagwant Mann is calling the turban ‘nakli’ (fake), he should go to the place where our gurus adorned this ‘dastar’ and apologise,” Saini said.
“He (Mann) has insulted the people of Punjab. He should apologise,” the Haryana chief minister said, adding that it was “because of the sacrifices made by the Sikh Gurus that we are sitting here today”.
Earlier this year, while responding to a question on frequently sporting a turban, Saini had told reporters, “It is connected to my emotions.” During his frequent visits to Punjab, where elections are due early next year, Saini has stepped up his attack on the AAP government and its top leadership, including Mann, on various fronts.
Continuing the trend in Patiala on Monday, Saini attacked the AAP government, saying the people of Punjab want development, employment, security for industries and solutions to their problems, not jokes, publicity and advertisements.
Exuding confidence that the BJP will form the government in Punjab after the Assembly polls next year, Saini said the people of the state now want work on the ground, not just announcements.
To recall, Saini had sported a saffron turban in the Haryana Assembly while presenting the state budget for 2026-27 in March.
While presenting the state budget, he had mentioned Guru Nanak Dev’s message – “Kirat Karo, Naam Japo, Vand Chhako” (earn honestly, meditate on god’s name, and share with others). PTI SUN ARI
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