On Sunday, June 18, while addressing a rally in Gurdaspur, Punjab, Home Minister Amit Shah called out Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for working as ‘Pilot of Arvind Kejriwal’. HM Shah accused CM Mann of not having time for Punjab’s issues.
Addressing a rally to mark the completion of nine years of the Narendra Modi-led Union government, HM Shah said Mann should tour India, but not as the pilot of the Aam Aadmi Party chief and Delhi chief minister.
आम आदमी पार्टी जैसी खोखले वादे करने वाली सरकार मैंने अपने पूरे जीवन में नहीं देखी। यहां के मुख्यमंत्री सिर्फ अरविंद केजरीवाल को देशभर का दौरा करवाते हैं।
— BJP (@BJP4India) June 18, 2023
पंजाब की कानून व्यवस्था बद से बदतर होती जा रही है लेकिन मुख्यमंत्री के पास पंजाब के लिए समय ही नहीं है।
– श्री @AmitShah… pic.twitter.com/TfwBmmV7uz
In his address, HM Shah said, “I have never seen a government like the Aam Aadmi Party’s, which makes shallow promises. Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann has only one job, if Kejriwal has to go to Chennai, then the Punjab CM takes a plane to Delhi and accompanies Kejriwal to Chennai. If Kejriwal has to go to Kolkata, the Punjab CM takes a plane to Delhi and accompanies Kejriwal to Kolkata. Punjab CM is arranging Kejriwal’s India tour. Sometimes, I fail to distinguish if Bhagwant Mann is the CM or the pilot. His time is entirely devoted to Kejriwal’s tours.”
The Home Minister added, “But it has worsened Punjab’s law and order situation. People are not safe here. Drug smuggling is increasing. The problems of farmers are being ignored. However, the chief minister has no time for these issues. The oppression of Dalits has also increased. A Punjab cabinet minister has been involved in the sexual exploitation of a Dalit, yet no action has been taken.”
HM Shah also questioned why the AAP-led Punjab government did not fulfill the promise of Rs 1,000 to all women in the state every month. “Punjab’s mothers and sisters are waiting for it,” he added.
He said, “AAP claimed it would earn Rs 20,000 crore by cracking down on illegal mafias. However, the revenue has decreased to Rs 125 crore, even lower than previous governments. The promise of Rs 51,000 for the marriage of poor girls is nowhere to be seen. There are 15,000 pending applications.”
Accusing Mann’s government of using public money for full-page advertisements, Home Minister Amit Shah said, “Bhagwant Mann only knows how to issue full-page advertisements. I understand advertisements of the Punjab government in Punjab, but the full-page advertisements in other states deplete Punjab’s treasury, and voters will take note of it during elections.”
