Saffron party leaders hold stir as AAP govt completes 3 years

On the completion of three years of the Aam Aadmi Party government in the state, BJP leaders held demonstrations in the four legislative Assemblies of Jalandhar, including Jalandhar West, Central, Cantt and North. The demonstrations were held under the leadership of 17 mandal pradhans of the BJP.

Leaders said there was increasing gangsterism, drug trafficking, ransom, kidnapping culture in the state and businessmen, shopkeepers, farmers and youth were suffering due to extreme corruption in offices. They said women were not getting the promised Rs 1,000 and businessmen weren’t getting free electricity, and poll promises like MSP on 23 crops, regularisation of contractual government employees, punishing sacrilege accused, ending of the sand mafia, cleaning of the sewers and dozens of other Aam Aadmi Party government’s election promises were yet to be fulfilled. They said this was the base of their protest.

Several leaders of the BJP, including party’s national general secretary Tarun Chugh, former Union Minister Som Parkash, Vijay Sampla, former Rajya Sabha member Avinash Rai Khanna, former minister Manoranjan Kalia and national farmer leader Sukhminderpal Singh Grewal have strongly criticised the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab, claiming that the state’s economy had collapsed under its rule.

As the Bhagwant Mann-led government completes three years, BJP leaders asserted that AAP had failed on all fronts, leaving Punjab in a state of turmoil.

In separate press statements issued here today, BJP leaders accused the AAP government of misleading the people of Punjab with false promises, stating that the party came to power by manipulating public emotions, but had failed to deliver on its commitments. “The state’s law and order situation has deteriorated to an all-time low,” BJP leaders said and added that the recent attacks on religious places and police stations prove this government’s incompetence.

They also expressed concern over the safety of Punjab’s residents, alleging that people were living in fear. Referring to the recent violent incidents, including an attack on a temple and an assault on a BJP leader and a jeweller in Amritsar, BJP leaders said, “The Chief Minister has merely issued press statements instead of taking concrete action.” They also pointed to a grenade attack in Jalandhar as further evidence of lawlessness in the state.

On the economic front, the BJP leaders accused the AAP government of pushing Punjab towards financial bankruptcy. “The state’s economic condition is no secret. Due to poor governance, Punjab is on the brink of collapse. The government has failed to fulfil its election promises, including providing ?1,000 per month to women, setting up medical colleges, supporting farmers and boosting industry,” they said.

Highlighting shortcomings in the education sector, they stated that 850 principal positions in Punjab’s schools remained vacant. He also questioned AAP’s claims of earning thousands of crores through mining, calling them “empty claims”.

They urged the Mann government to focus on addressing Punjab’s issues rather than making false claims. They further asserted that the people of Punjab were eagerly waiting for the 2027 elections to oust AAP and elect BJP government.

Leaders sat on streets with placards saying “Punjab de vich AAP de 3 saal, bure haal”, “Women asking AAP where is our Rs 1,000?”, etc. BJP leaders called the Aam Aadmi Party and the Bhagwant Maan government as the one which cheated people by making false promises and played with the sentiments of the people. They also attacked the Punjab government by saying that in the last three years the debt of Punjab had increased to about Rs 2 lakh crore without any development work.