Chandigarh: Punjab finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Friday launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led central government for a Rs 994 hike in commercial gas cylinder prices following the conclusion of elections in states.
Speaking to the media after the special session in the Punjab assembly, Cheema said, "The steep price hike on 19 kg commercial gas cylinders is a direct assault on the food industry and the hard-working labourers who rely on affordable meals from local eateries. The BJP deliberately hid its intentions before the elections only to burden the common man immediately after, making a mockery of the working class and the Constitution."
Condemnation of Opposition Conduct
Condemning the opposition's conduct in the special session, he said, "The session was convened by CM Bhagwant Singh Mann to honour and discuss the rights of labourers and marginalised communities. The Congress staged a walkout during the special assembly session out of sheer frustration and to evade accountability. An ongoing inquiry has exposed a Congress MLA for illegally encroaching upon panchayat land to benefit relatives, and their exit from the House is a desperate attempt to distract from their involvement in the land mafia, exposing their anti-Dalit and anti-poor mindset."
AAP Government's Initiatives
Cheema added, "The AAP government has undertaken historic steps, including providing reservations within the Advocate General's office, giving children of labourers and marginalised communities a rightful voice in the state's highest legal offices, and waiving debts of vulnerable families who could not repay loans due to medical emergencies or the loss of a breadwinner."
He further said, "The government has ensured timely and transparent disbursement of post-matric scholarships directly into students' accounts, leading to over three lakh Dalit and poor students receiving college scholarships, in contrast to the previous Congress government, where scams and delays forced thousands to abandon education and pushed them into manual labour."
Allegations Against BJP
He added, "The BJP is attempting to dismantle democratic institutions and the Constitution drafted by Dr B R Ambedkar, with dictatorial tendencies visible in undermining schemes like MGNREGA and attempts at horse-trading in the upper house, posing a grave threat to democracy, while the Aam Aadmi Party government remains committed to the working class, with six ministers from humble backgrounds ensuring that the voices of labourers guide the state's progress."
