Chandigarh, Apr 19 (PTI) Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday said that he understands the pain of the farmers and the damage caused by rains and hailstorm, which lashed parts of the state.
“This rain is not good for the ready-to-harvest wheat crop. This rain and storm, and even hailstorm in some areas is damaging the crops,” Mann said addressing a gathering in Fatehgarh Sahib as part of election campaign for the Lok Sabha polls.
“But don’t worry. I am with you. Whatever damage has been done to the ripe crops during the hailstorm today, I will compensate for the loss of every single grain of your crop,” he added, according to a party statement.
Dust storm accompanied by rain lashed Chandigarh and parts of Punjab and Haryana on Friday.
While the chief minister was addressing, heavy rainfall and dust storm hit the area.
Mann and all the party workers present in the ‘pandal’ (tent) got wet in the rain. He stayed in the ‘pandal’ with the workers to address the gathering, said the statement.
Mann said that he is always with the people in any kind of difficult time. Our Gurus and martyrs have inspired us to help each other, he said.
The chief minister said he is not like the leaders of rival parties “who run for their safety first leaving people behind”.
“No one can control nature, but we can stand with each other in such times. No matter if its rain, wind or storm, Bhagwant Mann will stand with you,” he said.
Attacking the BJP led Centre, Mann said that they might have arrested Arvind Kejriwal, “but they are mistaken if they think that they can stop the Aam Aadmi Party. But they don’t know rivers make their own way with the flow”.
“I was campaigning in Gujarat two days ago, there was a tsunami of people in favour of the AAP. We are getting an overwhelming response in Assam and in Kurukshetra (lone Haryana seat which AAP is contesting). You have to vote not only to elect your representative but also to save our democracy and the Constitution,” he said.
In 2014 general elections, Fatehgarh Sahib was one of the four Lok Sabha seats that the AAP had won, he said.
“This time again vote for the AAP,” he told the gathering.
Attacking the BJP, Mann said, “Journalists ask me how we (AAP) stopped Modi in Delhi and Punjab. I say lotus (referring to BJP poll symbol here) blooms in mud, with ‘jharoo’ (AAP’s poll symbol) we clean that mud, so there is no lotus in Delhi and Punjab.” He said the BJP’s two MPs won from Punjab in the last general elections “but this time they will get a big zero in Punjab”.
Meanwhile, the chief minister highlighted several steps taken by the AAP government in Punjab for welfare of various sections.
Mann said that over 43,000 government jobs have been given on merit basis.
“More than 90 per cent of households are getting zero electricity bills. We built good government schools, improved the condition of government hospitals and opened Aam Aadmi Clinics,” he said.
Asking people to vote in favour of the AAP in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, Mann said that they should vote for Punjab and the future of their children.
“Set up a record of 13-0 in favour of the AAP,” he said.
Polling for all 13 seats in Punjab will be held in the last phase of the general elections on June 1.
Earlier on Thursday, Mann had addressed a gathering of party workers and volunteers after holding a meeting with 13 party candidates for the general elections in Zirakpur in Mohali.
Mann had said the 2024 Lok Sabha elections are not about winning or losing but for “saving the Constitution and democracy” as he attacked the BJP-led Centre, accusing it of sending rival party leaders behind bars. PTI SUN AS AS
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