Chandigarh, May 28
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday took an apparent dig at Punjab Congress chief and Ludhiana MP Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, a day after the Congress leader arrived at a polling booth in Muktsar on a bullock cart during municipal elections in the state.
In a cryptic post on social media without naming Warring directly, Mann remarked that some leaders campaign in luxury SUVs while arriving on traditional carts to cast their votes. The comment came after Warring used a bullock cart as part of a symbolic protest against rising fuel prices in the country.
Warring, accompanied by his wife Amrita Warring, had reached the polling booth in Muktsar on Tuesday to cast his vote during the municipal elections held across Punjab, including for eight municipal corporations.
Responding to Mann’s remarks, Warring defended his move and said the protest was aimed at highlighting the steep increase in petrol and diesel prices. He said the issue was not whether political leaders could afford expensive fuel, but the financial burden being faced by ordinary citizens with limited incomes.
The Punjab Congress chief said his protest was directed against the BJP-led Central government and questioned why the Punjab Chief Minister appeared uncomfortable with the symbolic gesture. He added that bullock carts are still widely used in villages by farmers for agricultural transportation and daily activities. Warring also said the protest was intended to raise public concern and should have been appreciated as a message highlighting the impact of rising fuel prices on common people.
