CHANDIGARH, Dec 1: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday launched an attack on the Shiromani Akali Dal, calling it a “sinking ship” and claimed that people don’t trust them anymore.
At an event here, Mann pointed to what he alleged was a “dire state of affairs” in the Akali Dal.
“The party is a sinking ship and people don’t trust them anymore,” he said.
“People won’t forgive the Akalis for their sins against Punjab and its people,” said Mann, according to an official statement.
Mann further alleged that SAD today is a “divided house” and further added “a situation has even reached where Sukhbir Singh Badal, Bikram Singh Majithia and Harsimrat Badal no longer share the same view”.
Mann’s attack came in the backdrop of SAD leaders, including Sukhbir Badal and Bikram Singh Majithia, stepping up their attack on the AAP dispensation in the state on various fronts.
Mann was addressing the gathering here during a function to distribute appointment letters to 251 newly recruited youths in various departments.
Coming down heavily on previous regimes for allegedly “backstabbing” the Punjabis and misleading them by calling Punjab’s coffers empty, the chief minister said that in fact, the treasury was never empty, “but they governed to plunder public money to fill their own coffers and of their family members”.
Mann said that he is familiar with the ground realities in Punjab, as such he took several decisions for the betterment of the state and its people.
On the occasion, a young woman among the newly recruited lot said she was the first from her village to pursue a BTech degree.
She claimed that girls in her village were not encouraged to pursue higher education, but her father supported her and her sister to pursue their goals.
At this, Chief Minister Mann called her to the dais and told her that he was touched to hear her story and could not believe that such negative mindset still prevailed among people even in villages which are very close to cities like Chandigarh.
“It is surprising that we still have villages within 15 km radius of Chandigarh where people have such mindset,” he said referring to girls not being encouraged for higher education.
“When you go back to your village, tell the villagers that daughters too can do wonders,” Mann told her.
The CM claimed that after assuming the office, his government has successfully provided employment to 37,934 youths so far in various departments. (PTI)
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