Punjab being pushed towards financial collapse: Chugh

BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh on Tuesday accused the AAP government of pushing the state towards a “financial collapse for political gains”.

In a statement, Chugh alleged that the Bhagwant Mann-led government had turned Punjab into a “safe haven” for senior AAP party leaders like Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia — both currently out on bail in corruption cases — at the cost to the state exchequer.

He expressed alarm over reports that government departments in Punjab had been “directed to return unspent funds to the state treasury” even as the high-stakes Ludhiana Assembly by-election was a few days away. Chugh accused the Mann government of enabling the rise of criminal elements.

“The only visible contribution of the AAP government has been the unchecked growth of gangsters, land and liquor mafias,” he said.

He alleged that Mann had reduced himself to a “puppet”, acting on the instructions of Kejriwal. Chugh claimed that the resources of Punjab were being misused to promote and support AAP workers from Delhi.