A political controversy erupted on Monday after the Opposition accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government of staging a “publicity stunt” during the state-level Independence Day celebrations in Ferozepur, alleging that elderly participants were falsely portrayed as beneficiaries of the Punjab government’s health insurance scheme and made to dance as part of the health department tableau, a charge denied by the government.
Chief minister Bhagwant Mann was among the dignitaries present at the event. The tableau, intended to showcase the benefits of the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana, a health insurance scheme offering free healthcare coverage up to ₹10 lakh, featured senior citizens performing bhangra alongside other participants during the event on August 15. The performance, however, triggered backlash with state Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring saying, “Our elders are our pride, not props for political publicity. “ “Bhagwant Mann’s government has allegedly turned Independence Day into a publicity stunt, with health department employees reportedly presented as elderly beneficiaries of successful knee replacement surgeries despite never undergoing the procedure. Punjab’s hospitals need doctors, medicines, and real treatment, not propaganda and photo ops,” Warring posted on X, demanding the resignation of health minister Dr Balbir Singh and action against senior officials involved.
Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa also attacked the government, calling it the “real story” of AAP’s governance model characterised by “big claims, bigger publicity” where “the truth eventually catches up.” Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia alleged that the government is prioritising PR over severe shortages of doctors and medicines in state hospitals.
One of the participants, Suresh Kumar, a retired health department driver, said he and other retired department employees were simply asked by officials to perform.
Symbolic tableau: Govt
Ferozepur civil surgeon Dr Meenakshi Dhingra said the tableau was purely symbolic and not meant to parade actual patients.
“A tableau is a symbolic representation. We can never disclose the identity of a patient,” she said, adding that 26 people, including nursing students portraying Arogya Mitras and patients, took part in the event. “The sole purpose of this was to show what kind of benefits people received from the government schemes and how they are now living a happy and prosperous life.”
AAP Punjab in-charge Manish Sisodia also defended the Mann government’s healthcare initiatives, advising the Congress and SAD to focus on managing their own parties. “The way Mann has shown concern for Punjab and its people is something no party or chief minister in the history of Punjab has ever done before,” Sisodia said, reiterating that the state government remains firmly committed to public healthcare delivery.
