Those who sought votes in name of 'panth', failed to talk about Punjab in Parliament: CM Mann attack SAD

Baba Bakala (Amritsar), August 19

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday lashed out at the Shiromani Akali Dal for not addressing Punjab-specific issues in Parliament despite always seeking votes in the name of the 'panth'.

Presiding over a state-level function to mark the 'Rakhar Puniya' festival, he pointed out that the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), claiming to be "panthic and pro-Punjab", had never raised issues related to Punjab in Parliament.

Mann said that in December 2018, he, as a Lok Sabha member from Sangrur, had appealed to the then Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to pay homage to the younger sons of ten Sikh master, Guru Gobind Singh, on their martyrdom day.

The chief minister said that the then Lok Sabha Speaker had agreed and for the first time in the history of Parliament, rich tributes were paid to the 'Sahibzadas' on their martyrdom day.

Mann, however, said the SAD had never made any efforts to pay respects to the 'Sahibzadas' in Parliament despite claiming to be panthic and pro-Punjab.

He also criticised the BJP, advising the party to introspect its own governance in states like Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.

Taking a dig at the opposition leaders, including senior Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa and BJP state chief Sunil Jakhar, the chief minister said that these leaders had gone to political oblivion following the defeat in the recent Jalandhar West by-election.

Mann said that the people of Punjab had taught a lesson to these leaders, emphasising that "there was no place for nepotism in politics and only politicians who raise the voice of the common people could come to power".

Addressing a separate gathering here on the occasion of 'Rakhar Puniya' festival, SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal said that he would never compromise with the principles of the "Khalsa Panth" and would always strive for the development of Punjab.

The SAD president appealed to the 'Panth' to recognise the betrayers in their midst, saying "these people are in league with agencies who want to weaken the SAD as well as Sikh institutions".

Asking the entire community to recognise the threat from both within and outside, Badal said the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) was broken and a separate Gurdwara Committee was formed for Haryana under a well planned design.

"Now we have also witnessed how the RSS and the BJP have taken over the Sri Hazur Sahib Committee and the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee. If we do not stop this attack on our institutions we will have only ourselves to blame," Badal alleged.

The SAD president said seventeen instances of sacrilege had occurred during the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) tenure in Punjab "but Bhagwant Mann had never spoken out against them and the government had even failed to nab the culprits behind these heinous acts".

Badal also spoke on how Punjab had allegedly gone down in all spheres during the last seven and a half years of the Congress and AAP rule.

"Both the Congress and AAP made tall promises but failed to waive debts of farmers or free the state of drugs," he said.

Meanwhile, the chief minister promised further improvements in the education and health sectors, aiming to provide state-of-the-art infrastructure in the government schools and hospitals.

Mann said that 842 'Aam Aadmi Clinics' have already been established by the government which have treated more than 2 crore people and 95 per cent of them are now healthy.

He said that as many as 30 more such clinics are being set up with which people will get better health facilities near their homes.

On the occasion of the Raksha Bandhan festival, the chief minister said the government is taking multiple initiatives to empower women.

He mentioned that the state government has worked to implement the principle of equality by appointing women officers as senior superintendents of police (SSPs) in six districts and women deputy commissioners in eight districts.

Additionally, he announced that women will also be recruited as firefighters.

The chief minister expressed objection to the funds being withheld by the Centre, stating Punjab does not beg from New Delhi but demands its rights.

Mann emphasised that Punjab collects and deposits the GST with the Centre and expects its share, and that the Centre does not do any favour to the state.

The Mann government had in 2023 moved the apex court alleging non-release of the Rural Development Fund (RDF) and withholding a portion of the market fee by the Centre.

It alleged that the Centre owed Punjab over Rs 4,200 crore.

On the occasion of Rakhar Puniya, Mann paid obeisance at the historical Gurdwara Nauvi Patshahi and prayed for the prosperity of all.

The annual fair called Rakhar Puniya is organised every year on Raksha Bandhan when people gather at the holy place to pay their obeisance.