Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday alleged that the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leadership was “begging” to join hands with the BJP to return to power and “plunder” the state, as speculation grows over a possible alliance between the two parties ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.
Addressing a ‘Lok Milni’ gathering at Chawinda Devi, Mann said the people of Punjab would not forgive the BJP-Akali combine for allegedly pushing the state into the drug menace and ruining its future.
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Mann said people in Majitha were ready to write a new political chapter, contrasting the previous regimes with his government’s record on jobs, education, healthcare, roads and development.
He also targeted the Akalis over the sacrilege issue and claimed that his government had provided 70,000 government jobs purely on merit, with “no cash, no farmaish” (no bribe, no recommendation).
Mann said government schools had also undergone a transformation, with students now qualifying for competitive examinations such as JEE and NEET.
Mann alleged that the Akali leadership was desperate to regain power and was therefore seeking an alliance with the BJP. “For this purpose, they are begging to join hands with the BJP leadership to plunder the state, but the wise people of Punjab will once again oust them,” he said.
He alleged that Punjab had earlier been ruled by “one family” that treated people like slaves and ruined countless families. Mann said his government, which came to power in 2022, had instead focused on reforms in power, sports, education and healthcare.
He also claimed that after four-and-a-half years in office, his government had fulfilled its promises and guarantees.
Mann accused both the Congress and Akali Dal of damaging Punjab since Independence. “The Congress and Akali Dal were termites that ruined Punjab and caused the state to lag behind on the path of progress,” he alleged.
He said the two parties did not attack each other but targeted him because, according to him, he had exposed them before the people. Mann also alleged that drugs had been supplied in official vehicles during the previous regime, while claiming that his government was now putting drug smugglers behind bars.
Targeting SAD leader Sukhbir Singh Badal, Mann said he was disconnected from the realities faced by ordinary Punjabis. He alleged that Badal had spent his life surrounded by security, luxury and privilege and lacked knowledge of the basic issues facing the state.
Mann also took a swipe at the Congress, calling the party a “divided house” and claiming it was on its “death bed”.
“The Congress has no vision for Punjab or its people,” he alleged, predicting that the party would become politically irrelevant because of internal infighting.
He also mocked the Congress central leadership, alleging that senior leaders sent to resolve factional disputes in Punjab were not even familiar with the names of the leaders they were supposed to unite.
– Ends
With inputs from PTI
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
