Congress & Akali Dal Hollowed Out Punjab Like Termites: CM Bhagwant Singh Mann
Kharar News (Harpreet Singh): Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Tuesday tore into the opposition parties, calling out Congress and Akali Dal for having “hollowed out Punjab like termites” and pointing out that the Akali Dal is once again eager to join hands with the BJP to loot the state. During the Lok Milni programme in Kharar Halqa of Mohali, he said the opposition is fighting for political power while his government is focused on delivering quality education, healthcare, roads, electricity and water to the people, warning that “a vote for opposition parties by mistake will shut down all pro-people schemes.” CM Bhagwant Singh Mann asserted that the opposition parties have committed many sins against Punjab and its people and said the people would this time bring an end to their political existence.
Addressing the gathering during Lok Milni here, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said, “The traditional parties are envious of me because I hail from a common family and am working tirelessly to ensure the welfare of the people. These leaders had always believed that they have a divine right to rule the state, due to which they are not able to digest that a common man is running the state efficiently. They have befooled the people for a long time, but now people are not getting swayed by their misleading propaganda.”
Lashing out at the Akali leadership, he said, “The Akali leadership which had committed sacrilege across the state, which had destroyed the evidences related to its perpetrators, which had ordered firing on innocents along with other sins, is dying to come back into power in the state.”
He said that for this purpose, the Akali leadership is begging for joining hands with the BJP leadership to plunder the state, but the wise people of Punjab would once again reject them. “The wise people of the state will again oust them. Punjabis will send Akalis and BJP into political oblivion due to their sins against the state and its people,” he said.
CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said that baffled by their repeated debacles in the state, the Akalis were now misusing religion to mislead the people. “They are even trying to take political mileage by garnering sympathy from the attack that took place on Sukhbir at Sri Hazur Sahib. They are actually paying for their sins against Punjab and its people and can never be forgiven by the people,” he said.
Taking a swipe at opposition leaders, he said, “Some leaders are from Rahul’s quota, some from Modi’s and others from Amit Shah’s, whereas I am from the quota of the common man,” he said.
The Chief Minister said that the AAP government had started several pro-people schemes due to which people of Punjab loved his government. “Our government has started many pro-people schemes due to which the people of the state love me. I caution the people that in case any other party is voted to power, they will discontinue the schemes started by my government,” he said.
CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said the wise people of Punjab had already rejected leaders who had lived in palatial houses during their years in power and had never bothered about the masses. “Those who claimed that they will rule the state for 25 years have been sent to political oblivion by the people. They are not even able to find five members for constituting a committee. The wise and brave people of the state had taught a befitting lesson to such dubious and haughty leaders for their misdeeds,” he said.
Taking a jibe at the infighting in the Congress party, he said, “While they are squabbling for power for their vested political interests, the state government is working tirelessly for the wellbeing of the people. As compared to these opportunist leaders, we don’t fight amongst ourselves but are making tireless efforts to make Rangla Punjab.”
The Chief Minister said that the real fight of his government is for the welfare and progress of Punjab. “The fight of the state is for quality education, good health and other welfare schemes. For the sake of power, the Congress leaders don’t see eye to eye with each other,” he said.
The Chief Minister said that Congress had no vision for the people and the state and its only aim was to assume power and plunder the wealth of Punjab. “Their dreams will never get fulfilled. The Congress party is a divided house that will collapse due to their infighting,” he said, taking a dig at the Congress leadership.
He said it was unfortunate that senior Congress leaders who came to unite the warring factions were themselves not even aware of how to pronounce the names of the leaders they were trying to reconcile.
CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said, “The Congress and Akali Dal were the termite that had ruined the state after Independence, due to which Punjab lagged behind on the path of progress. The leaders of these parties never speak against each other but spit venom against me daily because I have exposed them badly before the people. These were the traitors who have never been loyal to Punjab and its people.”
The Chief Minister pointed out that the AAP government is optimally utilising every single penny of the state exchequer for the wellbeing of the people. “More than 90% of households in the state are getting free power. Even the farmers are today getting power in the daytime, which has been unprecedented. The tax money of people belonged to the state and was being judiciously spent on their welfare. People’s money is coming back to people through development, schools, hospitals and roads,” he said.
The Chief Minister said that the AAP government has provided free electricity to households, jobs to over 70,000 youth without corruption, improved roads, closed toll plazas saving ₹70 lakh daily, imparted quality education and healthcare and built infrastructure besides undertaking several other key initiatives. “Our government is working tirelessly for development of villages, for which grants are being given. To wean away the youth from the menace of drugs, 3,100 sports stadiums are being constructed in the state,” he said.
CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said that in order to provide comprehensive healthcare to people, the state government had launched Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna, a first-of-its-kind scheme in the country providing cashless medical treatment of up to ₹10 lakh for every resident family in Punjab. “It is a matter of immense pride and satisfaction that Punjab is the first Indian state to offer such comprehensive healthcare coverage, which has significantly eased the financial burden on the public while ensuring quality health services. This historic move is aimed at providing universal healthcare to all the families of the state. People have availed free treatment so far,” he said.
The Chief Minister noted that under the Mawan Dheeyan Satkar Yojna, every woman beneficiary above the age of 18 years had been receiving financial assistance of ₹1,000 and ₹1,500 for SC women from July 1. “Funds are being directly transferred to bank accounts and women already receiving social security pensions will also be eligible. Around 97% of women in Punjab are expected to benefit and the state government has allotted ₹9,300 crore in the budget,” he said.
Describing the initiative as a major social revolution, he said the scheme is aimed at empowering women through direct financial assistance. “This is the biggest social revolution being witnessed across the globe and is a first-of-its-kind scheme anywhere. This welfare scheme has hardly any parallel across the globe where women are being empowered through financial assistance,” he said.
CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said that so far 70.92 lakh women beneficiaries had received the benefit from the state government, while 5.20 lakh beneficiaries who had registered recently were now receiving ₹181.50 crore.
The Chief Minister said his government had prioritised education and taken path-breaking initiatives to transform the lives of people. “No freebie or concession cards can eliminate poverty or other social maladies in the state, but education is the key that can pull people out of this vicious circle by raising their standard of living. Due to this, my government is tirelessly making efforts to improve the standard of education to empower the common people,” he said.
The Chief Minister said Punjab had surpassed Kerala and other states in the field of education as a result of strenuous efforts by the state government, including teacher training programmes, Schools of Eminence and other initiatives.
Highlighting the improvement in the performance of government schools, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann said, “In 2021, just 80 students of government schools had cleared the coveted NEET exam, but this year in 2026, the number has gone up by 11 times to 882. This is the difference of our governance from others, who have never bothered about the school and education sector.”
CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said, “For the first time in the history of the state, canal water has reached the fields of 1,587 villages, which had never seen canal water. It is a matter of pride that the state government has spent ₹7,200 crore to ensure canal water reaches every field. After I assumed charge, the area under canal irrigation has increased from 26% to 80%. In 2022, only 20.89 lakh acres received canal water, whereas today canal irrigation had reached 60.30 lakh acres.”
He said 45,000 kilometres of roads were being renovated and upgraded to facilitate residents of the state.
Lok Sabha MP Malwinder Singh Kang and others were also present on the occasion.
