BJP leader Shergill condemns CM Mann for visiting Chhattisgarh amid floods in Punjab

Chandigarh, Aug 20 (PTI) BJP national spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill Sunday condemned Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann over his visit to poll-bound Chhattisgarh at a time when his state was facing floods again.

On Saturday, Mann and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal had addressed an AAP workers’ convention in Chhattisgarh capital Raipur.

At the convention, the AAP supremo announced his ten “guarantees” for the upcoming assembly polls in the Congress-ruled state. The guarantees included free electricity, a monthly ‘samman rashi’ for women, and a Rs 3,000 monthly allowance for the unemployed.

In a statement issued here on Sunday, Shergill said it is extremely unfortunate that at a time when Punjab is struck with floods and has suffered massive devastation, Mann is busy visiting poll-bound states to please his “super boss.”

Punjab needs a “Chief Minister and not a Campaign Minister,” Shergill said, adding, Mann is completely ignoring the interests of Punjab with his other political commitments.

“Mann has only one agenda and it is to fulfil the political ambitions of Kejriwal, who takes him along to poll-bound states to showcase the ‘fake’ Punjab model to get political mileage,” he alleged.

Shergill further said Kejriwal is “using” Mann to expand the footprints of the Aam Aadmi Party across India. “Unfortunately, Mann himself is also more than willing to be just an assistant of Kejriwal and thus conceding to all his unjust demands.”

He also alleged Mann was draining the state treasury funds for his political visits.

“At a time when employees of different government departments are staging protests for non-payment of their dues, the state treasury is being emptied for political adventures,” he said.

Shergill asked Mann not to “exploit” Punjab’s resources in these states as he cited media reports, according to which, Mann and Kejriwal will be leading a high-pitch electoral campaign in the three poll-bound states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh.

Many areas in Ferozepur, Fazilka, Gurdaspur and other districts of Punjab are facing floods following the release of excess water from the Pong and Bhakra dams.

After the release of surplus water from the two reservoirs on August 14, the water level in Beas and Sutlej rivers had risen, flooding the low-lying areas, as also those located near the banks.