The North News
Chandigarh, August 22
Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar on Friday accused the Bhagwant Mann-led state government of “murdering democracy” after police stopped him from attending a party awareness camp in Fazilka district. Jakhar, who was on his way to Raipura village in the Baluana Assembly constituency, staged a roadside sit-in after being detained by police.
Calling it a “black day,” he said the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government was using police repression to silence opposition voices. “The government cannot stop me from speaking for the people,” he said. “Raising awareness about central schemes is not a crime.” The BJP leader alleged that benefits of schemes such as the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana and the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme were being denied to the poor in Punjab. He claimed the number of PM-Kisan beneficiaries in the state had fallen from 22 lakh to 8.5 lakh due to the government’s “failure” to act.
Jakhar also said more Ayushman Bharat health cards had been issued in Haryana, despite its smaller population, compared to Punjab. He announced that the BJP would challenge the Punjab government’s actions in the High Court, vowing that the party’s village-level awareness camps would continue.
“The poor are being denied their rights,” Jakhar said. “This government will be voted out in the next elections.”
