CHANDIGARH: Taking a dig at Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Saturday called for political change in Punjab, saying Mann knows little beyond cracking jokes.
“Jokes can run cinema halls, but they cannot run governments,” Saini said while addressing a public gathering in Dhuri, Mann's Assembly constituency.
Saini said the people of Punjab were tired of the politics of false promises and hollow assurances and were ready to choose a new path of development, good governance and transparent administration.
He claimed that the enthusiasm of the people of Dhuri clearly indicated a strong wave of change in the state.
The Haryana Chief Minister said Aam Aadmi Party leaders portray themselves as revolutionaries, but in reality mislead the public about the work and achievements of others in an attempt to hide their own shortcomings.
He said Dhuri is the Chief Minister's own constituency, yet he has distanced himself not only from Punjab but also from Dhuri.
Saini said Punjab was once far ahead of many states in terms of development, but political parties pursuing their own interests had pushed it into the category of lagging states.
“Today, the war against drugs in Punjab is being fought only through newspaper advertisements, while little is being done on the ground,” he said.
Saini said Punjab's farmers are the nation's food providers. These farmers trusted the Aam Aadmi Party and voted for it in 2022, but neither have all crops received the benefit of the Minimum Support Price (MSP), nor are farmers being adequately compensated for crop losses.
He described this as the biggest betrayal of farmers and said they would respond to it in the coming elections. In contrast, he said, Haryana is the first state in the country where the government procures all farmers' crops at MSP.
Similarly, Haryana is far ahead in compensating farmers for losses caused by natural disasters, he said. According to Saini, after crop damage caused by rain and floods last year, Haryana provided financial assistance worth Rs 16,500 crore to farmers.
Farmers bringing their produce to mandis receive their J-Forms online immediately, and payments are credited to their accounts within 72 hours.
He said Punjab had only recently freed itself from Congress, as AAP had made grand promises and painted rosy pictures before the people. Innocent people trusted those promises, and Punjab continues to suffer the consequences.
“In contrast, the Bharatiya Janata Party believes not merely in making promises but in implementing them on the ground,” he said.
Saini said Punjab needs a government that not only makes announcements but also has the capacity to implement them effectively.
To fulfil the aspirations of farmers, youth, traders and ordinary citizens, strong leadership and accountable governance are essential.
He asserted that only the BJP can bring good governance to Punjab and take the state to new heights in development, investment, employment and infrastructure.
He noted that out of the 217 sankalps made in the BJP's election manifesto in Haryana, 63 have already been fulfilled within the first year, while work is progressing rapidly on the remaining 153 sankalps.
Saini said progressive cities such as Dhuri were once centres of economic activity, but the current government's indifferent policies had pushed them behind in the race for development. Many industries in Punjab are on the verge of closure, he added.
In contrast, he said, the double engine government in Haryana has brought positive changes to people's lives over the past eleven and a half years. Through transparent governance, the benefits of welfare schemes have been delivered to every citizen without discrimination.
Appealing to the people to give the BJP an opportunity in the upcoming Assembly elections, Saini said the election was not merely about choosing a government, but about securing Punjab's future, employment opportunities for youth, prosperity for farmers and the state's overall development.
“Every vote will play an important role in establishing a strong and development oriented double engine government in Punjab,” he said.
