Chandigarh, July 18 (IANS) Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema has said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the state disappointed every section as he chose to indulge in politics instead of announcing the release of state’s legitimate pending financial dues.
The Finance Minister on Friday added that the people of Punjab had expected the Prime Minister to clear the state’s pending dues, but he remained silent on the issue while making political remarks.
He said the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government has fulfilled all five guarantees given to the people within four-and-a-half years, unlike the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-Akali government, which ruined the state during its 10-year rule.
Cheema added that the previous BJP-Akali government allowed ‘chitta’ (drugs) and ‘beadbi’ of Guru Granth, whereas the Bhagwant Mann government launched Yudh Nashean Virudh and enacted the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar law to protect the sanctity of Guru Granth.
Addressing the media here, Minister Cheema said, “The people of Punjab had high expectations from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit. Punjab expected that its legitimate pending dues would be released. However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to Punjab only to indulge in politics. He did not utter a single word about Punjab’s pending dues.”
“PM Modi spoke about the BJP’s double-engine government. The BJP came to power after seeking votes in the name of Ram Mandir. Today, the BJP has stolen from Ram Mandir itself. Devotees visited the temple with faith and offered donations and valuable offerings, but hundreds of crores of rupees collected in ‘chanda’ (donations) have been stolen in Uttar Pradesh.”
“PM Modi comes to Punjab and talks about corruption, but the entire country knows that the BJP has started stealing money from temples and religious places,” Cheema added.
He said that after decades, Punjab got its own son, an ordinary man, Bhagwant Mann, as the state’s Chief Minister.
“Before forming the government, our (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal and CM Bhagwant Mann had given five guarantees to the people of Punjab. Today, the AAP has become the first party in Punjab’s political history to fulfil all five guarantees within four-and-a-half years,” Cheema added.
–IANS
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