Baba Bakala: Chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday said that the BJP might be able to form govt in any part of the country, but could never capture power in Punjab.He also censured the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) over its past rule and its alliance plans with the saffron party.Mann even scoffed at the Congress as a “divided house”.Addressing a gathering on Rakhri Punia, Mann said Punjab was the land of Gurus, saints, seers and martyrs and its people would not forget the BJP’s “injustice and step-motherly treatment” towards the state.“BJP can win from any state in the country, but it should never dream of winning from this land,” Mann said, accusing the party of humiliating Punjab’s farmers during the agitation against the farm laws.He also alleged that the BJP was attempting to deprive Punjab of its legitimate rights over institutions and resources, including Panjab University, Chandigarh; the Bhakra Dam; and river waters.Turning to the SAD, Mann accused the Akalis of committing the “sin of beadbi of Sri Guru Granth Sahib” and allegedly shielding those responsible and allowing the police firing on protesters.He alleged that the Akali govts had patronised mafias and that the drug trade had flourished during their tenure.“Even if the PM makes a call enquiring about the health of Akali leaders, they start dreaming about having an alliance with Delhi to loot Punjab. It is a fact that the Akali leaders are always bothered about their own interests rather than those of Punjabis or Punjab, whereas the AAP is committed only to Punjab,” he said.Taking a dig at the Congress, Mann said the party was a “divided house” whose leaders were fighting among themselves for power. He said that the Congress had no vision for Punjab and accused its leaders of being more interested in capturing power than addressing the problems of the people.Interestingly, while Mann attacked the SAD and the Congress, he did not specifically name or directly target the Akali Dal Waris Punjab De.Shifting the focus to his govt’s welfare and development initiatives, particularly the ‘Mukh Mantri Mawan-Dheeyan Satkar Yojna’, he said Rs 181.50 crore had been credited as three months’ assistance to 5.30 lakh newly registered women, taking the total beneficiaries under the scheme to 70.92 lakh.He said govt was working to bring one crore women under the scheme.Mann highlighted govt’s claims of providing free electricity to more than 90% of households, jobs to over 70,000 youngsters, expansion of canal irrigation and improvement of roads. He said canal water had reached the fields of 1,587 villages for the first time, while 45,000 km of roads were being renovated and upgraded.On education, the CM said the number of govt school students qualifying NEET had increased from 80 in 2021 to 882 in 2026, attributing the rise to teacher training, Schools of Eminence and other education reforms.He also highlighted the ‘Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna’, under which every resident family of Punjab would receive cashless medical treatment of up to Rs 10 lakh.Mann further claimed that govt’s anti-drug campaign, Yudh Nashean Virudh, was breaking the backbone of those involved in the drug trade. He also highlighted 3,100 sports stadiums constructed to channelise the state’s youth towards sports.
