Samrala, May 12 (PTI) Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday launched a blistering attack on the BJP, Akali Dal and the Congress, alleging that these traditional political parties “betrayed” the state for decades through “divisive politics, anti-Punjab decisions and corruption”.
During ‘Lok Milni’ at village Manki in Samrala, Mann alleged that the BJP had exposed its “anti-Punjab” mindset by making Sanskrit compulsory and Punjabi optional in Army schools, claiming that the party “thrives on creating communal tensions before elections to polarise voters”.
“The BJP has an anti-Punjab mindset and making Punjabi an optional subject while making Sanskrit compulsory in Army schools in Punjab is a reflection of this mentality. The BJP has always treated Punjab unfairly,” he alleged.
Mann said Punjab must remain alert against “divisive and anti-Punjab forces” that are continuously attempting to “destabilise” the state politically, socially and economically.
“Whether it is the issue of Panjab University, Chandigarh, BBMB, the SYL canal, the Harike canal, Republic Day tableaux, RDF funds or border area funds, Punjab has consistently faced injustice at the hands of the BJP,” alleged Mann.
Slamming the BJP further, Mann accused it of pursuing a politics of riots and division, calling upon people to give a befitting reply to forces trying to create instability in Punjab ahead of the upcoming assembly elections.
“Some political parties in Punjab are trying to divide people in the name of religion. The BJP’s politics revolves around creating divisions between communities and then frightening both sides for votes.
“Punjab has already seen dark days in the past which derailed the development of the state, and therefore, people must outrightly reject such forces,” he added.
Urging people to remain united, Mann said his government has worked tirelessly for the all-round development of Punjab, and unlike previous chief ministers, he has never misused public money for personal comfort.
“I have not taken even a single penny from the public exchequer for myself. Every rupee of taxpayers’ money is being spent judiciously for public welfare.
“Being your son and brother, I have always focused on sharing your pain and hardships rather than living a life of luxury like previous rulers,” he claimed.
The chief minister noted that earlier governments remained confined behind the walls of their palatial residences and never bothered to directly interact with people regarding their problems.
“No previous ruler ever came among people in this manner to listen to their grievances and resolve them with commitment. Those arrogant politicians remained disconnected from the public and today, they are baffled by every pro-people initiative being taken by the Punjab government,” he said, adding his government continuously takes feedback from people while framing citizen-centric and development-oriented policies.
“The opposition is trying to mislead people by spreading fake and derogatory narratives, but Punjabis are wise enough to understand the dubious and treacherous character of these leaders. These cheap theatrics cannot stop me from serving Punjab till my last breath,” he added. PTI CHS KSS KSS
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