Release white paper on steps taken after 2023 floods: BJP

BJP national spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill on Friday demanded that the government must release white paper on the measures it had taken post 2023 floods that had also left parts of Punjab battered.

Shergill said, "The unfolding floods are not just an act of nature, but a man-made disaster fuelled by arrogance, negligence, and betrayal of the Aam Aadmi Party government. Punjabis have again been left to fend for themselves, abandoned by those who promised change but delivered only excuses."

The Supreme Court lawyer hailing from Jalandhar, Shergill said instead of drawing lessons and putting a robust system in place, the AAP government went back to its old ways of blame-shifting and event management. "There has been no comprehensive plan, no infrastructure upgrade, no accountability — only hollow slogans. The people of Punjab deserve transparency in the form of a while paper, not betrayal", he fumed.

He said people wanted answers. He listed out questions for the government, "Why was the Flood Preparation Committee meeting, due in February, postponed to June simply because the Chief Minister and his ministers were occupied with the Delhi elections? Is the life of Punjabis less important than the electoral interests of AAP? Why were official warnings of excessive rainfall ignored despite repeated alerts? Why were crores of rupees allocated for preparedness and relief left unused or misused? Why was the Madhopur Gate not repaired in time, turning a manageable situation into a full-scale calamity?"

He further said, "In these dark times, it is not the AAP government but the people of Punjab who have risen to the occasion, standing shoulder-to-shoulder in the true spirit of chardi kala. No flood can wash away the courage and resilience of Punjab."