Cong blames Centre, state for floods

Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring on Thursday said the flood situation in Punjab is a result of the collective collaboration of the Centre and the state government.

On the sidelines of the PCC's Samvidhan Bachao rally held in Jalandhar, Warring said, "We have already been saying that CM Bhagwant Mann is working in sync with the BJP-led Centre. We have seen it when Mann had sought the separate land for the Punjab Vidhan Sabha after the Centre had announced to grant separate Assembly for Haryana diluting the state's claim for Chandigarh. Let's see how he reacts as the CISF tries to take over the BBMB control from the state police".

Warring also blamed the Centre for its indifference towards the flood situation by not taking timely precautions while releasing extra water from dams to keep a provision for rain waters. He said, since the floodgates of the Bhakra Dam had been opened, it posed grave danger to large parts of Punjab, which are at the risk of getting submerged.

The PCC president said he had wanted to reschedule the today's rally in view of the flood situation. But the local leaders insisted on holding it since it had been postponed several times in the past. Warring announced that all MPs and MLAs of the Congress would donate one month's salary for the flood relief.

AICC secretary Pargat Singh demanded that the Centre should immediately declare the floods in all three affected states a national disaster and announce a special package to compensate families, farmers, livestock owners, and property owners for losses and ensure full rehabilitation.

“Warnings were issued well in advance. Yet, no plan was prepared. Instead of managing water releases in time, lakhs of cusecs were suddenly discharged, drowning thousands of villages. This is not just a natural calamity — it is an administrative failure.”

He recalled that after the 2023 floods, Punjab was again suffering in 2025 due to the same negligence. The AAP government has learned nothing, and the people are paying the price,” he said.

Prominent Congress leaders who attended the rally MLAs Bawa Henry, Hardev Singh Laddi Sherowalia, Vikramjit Chaudhary, DCC urban chief Rajinder Beri, halqa in-charges Dr Navjot Dahiya, Surinder Kaur and Rajinder Singh.