Latest news with #Mann-led
Time of India
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Punjab minister criticizes Sukhbir Badal over land pooling scheme and past governance.
Ludhiana: Punjab minister Tarunpreet Singh Sondh launched a blistering attack on Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Thursday, accusing the former deputy chief minister of corruption, arrogance, and misleading the public over the Bhagwant Mann govt's land-pooling scheme. Speaking to reporters in the Ludhiana West constituency, Sondh dismissed Badal's recent remarks as "baseless" and claimed they revealed the Akali leader's "political and financial desperation." "Sukhbir Badal is not fighting for farmers," Sondh said. "He's defending his own interests and the land mafia nexus he built during his time in power. Every Punjabi knows that illegal construction in the state flourished under the Badal family's watch. " The minister said the Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) govt's land-pooling scheme posed no threat to farmers. Participation in the scheme, he said, is entirely voluntary and designed to increase land value by developing roads, lighting, sanitation, and other infrastructure. "Farmers who choose to participate will receive 1,000 square yards of residential and 200 square yards of commercial land per acre — a return that will multiply in value fivefold within a few years," he said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Zumbido e perda de audição? Médico revela técnica caseira de 1 real para aliviar! Zumbido no ouvido Undo Sondh accused Badal of fearmongering and double standards. "The man who now claims to support farmers had earlier backed the Centre's three black farm laws. He only reversed his stance under public pressure," he said, adding that Sukhbir's wife, Harsimrat Kaur Badal, failed to deliver any meaningful development during her tenure as Union food processing minister. The minister also targeted the SAD chief over the contentious Satluj-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal issue, accusing him of compromising Punjab's interests for "personal economic gain." He criticised Badal for "disregarding" the authority of Akal Takht Sahib and treating Sikh institutions as "political tools." "Sukhbir Badal has no moral authority to speak on Punjab's issues," Sondh said. "His legacy is one of crime, corruption, and collusion with land mafias — not of service to the people. " The Mann govt, he added, was committed to cleaning up Punjab's politics and eliminating drugs, corruption, and land-related exploitation. MSID:: 121469159 413 |
Indian Express
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Exercise in optics, smoke-and-mirror tactics move to mislead people: Punjab Congress
The Congress in Punjab Friday slammed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) after the arrest of ruling party MLA Raman Arora, calling it another elaborate 'optics exercise' aimed at misleading the people of Punjab. The Vigilance Bureau arrested AAP MLA from Jalandhar Central for allegedly indulging in corruption in connivance with an official of the Jalandhar Municipal Corporation. Following Arora's arrest, Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Partap Singh Bajwa accused the AAP-led Punjab government of being knee-deep in corruption while attempting to save face with hollow gestures. 'This is nothing more than a desperate attempt to revive the party's plummeting image,' Bajwa said. 'After trying to hoodwink the public with gimmicks like 'Shiksha Kranti' and 'Yudh Nasheyan Virudh', Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is now attempting to portray himself as a crusader against corruption. But the truth is, no meaningful action will ever follow and no one will actually be convicted,' Bajwa said in a statement. About Arora's arrest, Bajwa noted that this is not an isolated incident. 'This isn't the first time AAP MLAs and ministers have been named in corruption and extortion cases. Rather than pursuing legal action, the AAP government has routinely buried such cases to protect its own,' he alleged. Taking a dig at AAP's public posturing, Bajwa questioned, 'If the party had prior knowledge of Raman Arora's alleged misdeeds, why was no action taken before? This so-called 'Kattar Imaandaar' party is anything but honest. It's all a facade designed to deceive voters.' The senior Congress leader pointed out that this latest move is just another failed attempt by AAP to project itself as a clean and accountable party. 'Since coming to power in 2022, CM Mann's government has failed to act decisively even in cases where allegations were clear. Take the case of former health minister Vijay Singla, accused of corruption — no action has been taken and he remains active in party affairs,' Bajwa said, claiming that many other Punjab AAP leaders have faced serious allegations. 'Yet, the AAP government's so-called zero-tolerance stance against corruption has remained just a slogan,' he alleged. 'AAP continues to resort to smoke-and-mirror tactics to cover up its failures and shield its own. The people of Punjab deserve real accountability, not political theatre,' Bajwa said. Congress MLA from Bholath, Sukhpal Singh Khaira, termed Arora's arrest a 'blatant eyewash' and a 'political gimmick', 'orchestrated' by the Mann-led AAP government 'to mislead the public ahead of the upcoming Ludhiana West byelection'. Khaira drew parallels to the arrest of former minister Vijay Singla ahead of the Sangrur Lok Sabha byelection in 2022, pointing out that despite serious corruption charges, no charge-sheet was ever filed against him. 'Dr Vijay Singla continues to enjoy the full patronage of AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal and the party, proving that such arrests are mere stunts to create a false narrative of accountability,' Khaira alleged in a statement. 'The arrest of Raman Arora is a repeat of the same script played out before the Sangrur byelection. The AAP government is desperate to divert attention from its failures and rampant corruption within its ranks. Punjabis are not fooled by these tactics,' Khaira said, urging the public to see through the 'political drama' and hold the AAP accountable 'for its betrayal of the common man's trust'.
The Print
23-05-2025
- Politics
- The Print
‘Optics exercise': Bajwa says shortly after AAP MLA Raman Arora's arrest
Following Arora's arrest, Bajwa accused the AAP-led Punjab government of being knee-deep in corruption while attempting to save face with hollow gestures. The Punjab Vigilance Bureau on Friday arrested AAP MLA from Jalandhar Central Raman Arora for allegedly indulging in corruption in connivance with an official of the Jalandhar Municipal Corporation. Chandigarh, May 23 (PTI) Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Partap Singh Bajwa on Friday slammed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) after the arrest of ruling party MLA Raman Arora, calling it another elaborate 'optics exercise' aimed at misleading the people of Punjab. 'This is nothing more than a desperate attempt to revive the party's plummeting image,' Bajwa said. 'After trying to hoodwink the public with gimmicks like 'Shiksha Kranti' and 'Yudh Nasheyan Virudh', Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is now attempting to portray himself as a crusader against corruption. But the truth is, no meaningful action will ever follow and no one will actually be convicted,' Bajwa said in a statement. About Arora's arrest, Bajwa noted that this is not an isolated incident. 'This isn't the first time AAP MLAs and ministers have been named in corruption and extortion cases. Rather than pursuing legal action, the AAP government has routinely buried such cases to protect its own,' he alleged. Taking a dig at AAP's public posturing, Bajwa questioned, 'If the party had prior knowledge of Raman Arora's alleged misdeeds, why was no action taken before? This so-called 'Kattar Imaandaar' party is anything but honest. It's all a facade designed to deceive voters.' The senior Congress leader pointed out that this latest move is just another failed attempt by AAP to project itself as a clean and accountable party. 'Since coming to power in 2022, CM Mann's government has failed to act decisively even in cases where allegations were clear. Take the case of former health minister Vijay Singla, accused of corruption — no action has been taken and he remains active in party affairs,' Bajwa said, claiming that many other Punjab AAP leaders have faced serious allegations. 'Yet, the AAP government's so-called zero-tolerance stance against corruption has remained just a slogan,' he alleged. 'AAP continues to resort to smoke-and-mirror tactics to cover up its failures and shield its own. The people of Punjab deserve real accountability, not political theatre,' Bajwa said. Congress MLA from Bholath, Sukhpal Singh Khaira, termed Arora's arrest a 'blatant eyewash' and a 'political gimmick', 'orchestrated' by the Mann-led AAP government 'to mislead the public ahead of the upcoming Ludhiana West byelection'. Khaira drew parallels to the arrest of former minister Vijay Singla ahead of the Sangrur Lok Sabha byelection in 2022, pointing out that despite serious corruption charges, no charge-sheet was ever filed against him. 'Dr Vijay Singla continues to enjoy the full patronage of AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal and the party, proving that such arrests are mere stunts to create a false narrative of accountability,' Khaira alleged in a statement. 'The arrest of Raman Arora is a repeat of the same script played out before the Sangrur byelection. The AAP government is desperate to divert attention from its failures and rampant corruption within its ranks. Punjabis are not fooled by these tactics,' Khaira said, urging the public to see through the 'political drama' and hold the AAP accountable 'for its betrayal of the common man's trust'. Soon after coming to power in Punjab in 2022, the AAP government arrested its minister Singla in connection with a corruption case. Over two years ago, AAP MLA from Punjab's Bathinda Rural seat Amit Rattan Kotfatta was caught in a bribery case by the Vigilance Bureau. PTI SUN KSS KSS This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Time of India
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Cops block farmers, prevent Shambhu sit-in; Dallewal accuses CM Bhagwant Mann of turning Punjab Into A ‘Garrison'
Bathinda: The Punjab Police intensified its crackdown on protesting farmers associated with farm forums Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha for the second consecutive day on Tuesday, preventing them from reaching Shambhu for a sit-in outside the local police station by making detentions and putting senior leaders, including Jagjit Singh Dallewal, under house action comes following a warning by chief minister Bhagwant Mann against any road or rail blockades or protests causing public leading to Shambhu were heavily barricaded, with even loaded tippers being strategically placed to block the movement of protesting crackdown extended beyond Punjab's borders. In Haryana, including Ambala, protesters primarily associated with BKU (Shaheed Bhagat Singh) were prevented from reaching Shambhu. They were stopped at Gurdwara Manji Sahib, with Haryana-based farmer leader Tejveer Singh alleging that "Punjab Police reached the gurdwara in plainclothes and studied their movements".In Punjab's Moga district, at Ajitwal town, activists of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee were also intercepted, with farm leaders stating that some were even taken into farm forums had planned the demonstration to protest the police's recent actions, including the arrest of farmer leaders on March 19 after a meeting with central and state ministers, subsequent demolition of protest sites, and the alleged assault on farmer leader Balwant Singh Behramke on March 20. The farmers had also expressed outrage over the disappearance of their belongings, including tractor trailers, from the protest leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, angered by the arrests and house arrests, released a video message on Tuesday morning strongly condemning the govt's actions. He stated that the farm forums merely intended to voice their concerns regarding the police actions of March accused the Mann-led government of transforming Punjab into a "garrison" and launching a widespread crackdown on farmers. He said that many leaders detained on Monday, including Kaka Singh Kotda, had been sent to jail. Dallewal cautioned Mann that such state repression could incite further asserted that protests cannot be suppressed through coercion, emphasising that increased repression would only lead to greater resistance and that the rising voices of dissent would not tolerate authoritarianism. He questioned the "double standards" of the CM and his party leaders, who themselves have participated in protests in Delhi and Punjab, yet seem unwilling to concede to the farmers' right to to block rail trafficKisan Mazdoor Morcha, expressing anger over the acquisition of farmlands for road projects against the farmers' wishes, announced plans to block rail traffic at Devidaspura near Amritsar starting Wednesday. "We will continue protests and will sit wherever we are stopped and will mobilise people against such high-handedness from the state govt led by a political party which claims to have originated from the protests and struggles," declared farm leaders, adding that numerous activists from the BKU (Ekta Azad) organisation have been detained in Mangwal village near 120924755 413 |
Time of India
22-04-2025
- General
- Time of India
Pond rejuvenation plan to cover all villages, says Punjab minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond.
Chandigarh: The Punjab govt has launched its campaign for the cleaning of over 15,000 village ponds in the state, which will be covered under the budget allocation of Rs 4,573 crore for the holistic development of villages. Rural development and panchayats minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond on Monday accused the previous govts of failing to address the needs of rural Punjab, with many ponds left unattended for 15 to 25 years. As a result, these ponds stink and have become breeding grounds for mosquitoes, making it impossible for people around to live, he said. "For the first time in the history of Punjab, the Mann-led govt has launched a mass-scale pond rejuvenation exercise. Nearly 15,000 ponds are set to be cleaned within this year," he said. Sond said that around 1,100 ponds were already dewatered and nearly 400 ponds were already desilted. Depending on the requirement, both desilting and re-silting operations are being carried out. The minister recently conducted on-ground inspections in several villages of Fatehgarh Sahib district to personally oversee the progress. He will be visiting other districts to personally review all progress. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Top Swing Trader Reveal's His Trading Method – Join Free Masterclass TradeWise Learn More Undo He further said that the govt is focusing on upgrading rural infrastructure, including the maintenance and upkeep of village ponds and the development of playgrounds. Sewage treatment facilities are being ensured in villages to ensure sustainable wastewater management. MSID:: 120491882 413 |
