Chandigarh: Marking the completion of four years in office, Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led Centre, accusing it of providing VIP treatment to gangster Lawrence Bishnoi in Sabarmati Jail while shielding him from Punjab Police custody. Countering Union home minister Amit Shah‘s recent pitch for an anti-conversion law in the state, Mann asserted that the “religious card” would never work in Punjab and accused the saffron party of attempting to incite communal friction.On March 14, during a Badlav rally in Moga, Shah announced that if the BJP is voted to power in the 2027 assembly elections, the very first bill it introduces will be to ban religious conversions in the state. Mann maintained that while his govt has fulfilled major pre-poll guarantees, the final year of his term would focus on massive infrastructure projects, including the Malwa Canal and an international cricket stadium in Amritsar. Addressing criticism regarding law and order, Mann framed gangsterism as an international challenge currently facing nations like Canada, but emphasised that Punjab remains a “peaceful land” where police have tracked accused individuals as far as Nagaland and Meghalaya. “Questions are usually raised about gangsterism and law and order. It is an international problem. Canada is currently dealing with gangsters and extortion cases. But Punjab has always been a peaceful land,” Mann said. He hit out at the Union home ministry regarding the investigation into the Sidhu Moose Wala murder case, stating, “The Mansa police want to bring Anmol Bishnoi to Punjab and interrogate him… But the BJP-led Centre seems to have double standards. While the Union home minister spoke about gangsters during his visit to the state, the home ministry gave instructions that Lawrence Bishnoi cannot be taken out of the Sabarmati Jail for interrogation by other agencies. He is enjoying VIP facilities there. They say that there is a threat to his life; they want to keep him alive and use him.” Mann further accused the Akali Dal and Congress of patronising gangsterism in the state. “Those who patronised gangsters are today raising the issue,” he alleged. Mann asserted that unlike his rivals, his govt maintained a clean break from such influences, noting, “We didn’t try to patronise gangsters or try to use them in elections. Unlike other parties, we don’t give AAP tickets to relatives of gangsters.” Responding to Shah’s recent remarks regarding a proposed law against religious conversion, the CM warned that such statements are an invitation to communal disharmony. He asserted that Punjab’s secular fabric is too strong for the “religious card” to take root, stating that while the land is fertile for all crops, the “seed of hatred” would never grow there. He further accused the BJP of deliberately troubling non-BJP-ruled states like Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, confirming that Punjab has already approached the Supreme Court to seek the release of the Rural Development Fund (RDF) held back by the Centre. “By coming here and seeking votes with turbans, will they become pro-Punjab?” he asked. On the state’s economic future, Mann announced that Tata Steel will inaugurate its second-biggest plant in Ludhiana’s Cycle Valley on March 20. He also shared plans for an international cricket stadium in Amritsar, noting the city already fulfills requirements like having an international airport so that “matches can then be held at both New Chandigarh and Amritsar.” On New Chandigarh’s cricket stadium not being preferred for matches, Mann said he will take up the matter with Shah, “as there should be no politics in sports”. “For every small thing, we have to approach Shah, even for getting a sewerage lid replaced,” he remarked. Highlighting the roadmap for his fifth year, he said, “The fact that we have fulfilled our pre-poll guarantees doesn’t mean that we will sit back now,” emphasising that the govt will focus on pending issues like the Malwa Canal. Replying to a question about AAP MLAs sending their children to private schools, he clarified, “We only said that we will bring the level of education in govt schools at par with private schools. There is no bar on sending your kids to private schools. If govt buses are being improved, it doesn’t mean you can’t take a private bus.” Asked about bomb threat calls to schools, Mann said this was occurring in other states as well. “They use fake IDs to send such emails to create panic. They sent such emails to high courts and the Supreme Court. But we have faith in our police; they can trace IP addresses and take them to task,” he said. Signed 14k files in 4 years Defending his own work ethic against opposition charges that he merely “enjoyed” his tenure, CM Mann declared himself the “most hardworking chief minister,” stating, “I signed over 14,000 files in the last four years. I start work at 6 am in the morning and then go to different programmes, face questions of the media… I give journalists stories even when I am admitted in a hospital, as all sorts of speculation begins.” Pending agri policy Asked about the Punjab’s agriculture policy pending for two years, CM Mann said even though most of the state farmers’ issues pertain to the Centre, the state govt will come up with a detailed policy after consulting every stakeholders. “There are Centre-related issues like appointment of the FCI’s regional head, holding back of the rural development fund, the impact of the Seeds Act, Electricity Amendment Act and US Treaty on Punjab’s farmers...The agriculture policy should be pro-farmers,” he said. 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