Chabbewal accuses PM, Opposition of betraying state in hour of crisis

Lok Sabha member Dr Raj Kumar Chabbewal on Saturday lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and opposition parties, accusing them of betraying Punjab in its hour of crisis during the devastating floods.

Addressing reporters here, Chabbewal said while thousands of people across 2,305 villages were battling for survival and rehabilitation, Opposition leaders were busy “hogging media limelight” instead of extending a healing touch. He described their conduct as “insensitive and opportunistic,” charging that they shed “crocodile tears” while people struggled.

The MP was particularly scathing in his criticism of the Prime Minister, calling the Centre’s relief package of ?1,600 crore a cruel joke on flood-affected families. “This translates to only ?80 lakh per devastated village, which is a minuscule amount compared to the scale of destruction,” he said, adding that Modi, during his visit to the state, chose to meet hand-picked BJP leaders rather than actual victims. He alleged that the Prime Minister was “least bothered” about the plight of countrymen and remained more occupied with frequent foreign tours, which he said have failed to deliver any results for India.

Chabbewal further trained guns on the Shiromani Akali Dal, particularly party chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, ridiculing his promise to build concrete walls along rivers. “The people know the Akalis failed to even construct streets during their long misrule. Now they are trying to mislead villagers by distributing money earned through wrong means, often rotating the same funds from place to place,” he charged.

Chabbewal appealed to all leaders to rise above political differences and join hands in the relief and rehabilitation process. He expressed gratitude to youngsters, the Army, and social workers who risked their lives to save others, and pointed to the state government’s launch of the Rangla Punjab Fund as a more transparent mechanism to mobilise resources.