Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his frequent foreign visits, saying the PM keeps travelling to countries with small populations while neglecting the 140 crore people in India.
“I don’t know which countries he is going to. What is the population there, 10,000? And they get the highest civilian honour of that country. Here, 10,000 people stand to watch a JCB,” Mann said while speaking to the media after a cabinet meeting on Thursday.
The Chief Minister announced that a bill on sacrilege will be introduced in the Punjab Assembly on Friday. He said feedback will be sought from institutions and the public before finalising the bill. Mann also said that all people in Punjab will receive free medical treatment of up to Rs 10 lakh.
In another announcement, Mann said that women sarpanches who perform well in their duties will be taken on a tour of Hazur Sahib in Nanded, where they will also receive training, with all expenses covered by the Punjab government.
The cabinet will also pass a resolution seeking the removal of CISF personnel from dams in Punjab. Mann also took a jibe at BJP’s Punjab chief Sunil Jakhar, advising him to decide whether to manage his party or remain party president, noting that the BJP had finished third in the Ludhiana by-election.
