Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Tuesday intensified his criticism of the Narendra Modi-led Union government, accusing the Centre of exploiting the West Asia conflict to mask what he termed as the collapse of its foreign and economic policies. Mann reiterated his claim that the government was steering the country toward an undeclared lockdown-like situation and questioned the Prime Minister's appeals for austerity and restraint.
Mann questions Centre's handling of economic crisis
Mann asserted that no other nation affected by the global crisis had asked its citizens to curtail purchases of petrol, diesel, gas, or gold. He demanded that the Modi government provide transparent answers regarding the actual status of India's reserves, instead of spreading panic and inconvenience among the public.
Speaking to the media on the sidelines of launching a project to bury high-tension wires underground, Mann stated that the Modi government had failed on both foreign and economic fronts, leaving the country in disarray. "The Modi government has completely failed on foreign and economic policy, due to which the country is in disarray. The central government failed to anticipate the gravity of the situation arising out of the war, leading to complete chaos," he said. He added that while the conflict involves Israel and Iran, only India is suffering, with no other neighboring country facing such grim circumstances.
Allegations of foreign policy subservience
Mann accused the central government of seeking consent from the United States for even the most minor decisions. "Instead of putting the country virtually in a state of lockdown, the Prime Minister should honestly convey to the country the situation of oil, LPG, and gold reserves," he urged.
He criticized the Prime Minister for urging austerity while indulging in opulence. "He continues his foreign sojourns while appealing to the countrymen to refrain from it. In the last 14 years, the PM has never briefed the media, the country, or Parliament about the outcome of his several foreign trips," Mann said. He emphasized that it is the Prime Minister's duty to inform the people about the achievements of these tours.
Warning of rising fuel prices
Mann warned that people would face more hardship in the coming days as fuel prices are expected to keep escalating. "There will be no end to the agonies of the people as the Union government is suffering from an anti-people mindset. The Union government has just woken up from a deep slumber as they were busy in election mode," he added.
Criticism of Punjab BJP leadership
Responding to another query, Mann criticized the Punjab BJP leadership for what he called baseless and irrational statements intended to mislead the people of Punjab. "Punjab BJP leaders are completely unaware of the ground realities as they are just a mouthpiece of their own party and chant whatever their high command wants them to say," he remarked.
Mann mentioned that he had raised the issue of DAP fertilizer with the Union agriculture minister a few days ago and was assured that Punjab's requirements would be met.
