Punjab Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Sunil Jakhar launched a scathing attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress on Thursday, alleging their opposition to the new Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB – G RAM G) Act is driven by a desire to protect illicit financial flows. Jakhar asserted that the "pro-poor" legislation, which replaces the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), is designed to directly benefit laborers and will stop the "corrupt earnings" of opposition parties.
Core Allegations and Scheme Details
Addressing a public interaction rally in Foldiwal village, Jalandhar, as part of the BJP's state-level awareness campaign on January 8, 2026, Jakhar framed the debate around corruption versus welfare. He stated that the new law, brought by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, places the interests of poor laborers at its core. "It ensures that the grant meant for labourers does not end up in the pockets of contractors and middlemen, and that the labourer receives his rightful payment directly," Jakhar emphasized.
He highlighted key improvements in the scheme, notably that the number of guaranteed employment days has been increased from 100 to 125. Jakhar accused the AAP and Congress, parties that profess secularism, of also hypocritically objecting to the inclusion of the word "Ram" in the scheme's acronym. "The so-called secular party smells foul in the name of God Ram," he remarked.
Broadside Against AAP Leadership and Punjab Governance
Jakhar expanded his criticism to target AAP's leadership on multiple fronts. He referenced alleged remarks by former Delhi Chief Minister Atishi against Guru Tegh Bahadur, saying the "true face of this party has now been exposed before everyone." He then trained his guns on Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, citing a purported video that shows him disrespecting images of the ten Sikh Gurus.
Jakhar demanded a special session of the Punjab Assembly and an impartial probe under the supervision of the High Court to verify the video's authenticity. He declared that if the video is genuine, Mann would have "no moral right to occupy the chair of the Chief Minister of Punjab."
Shifting to the state's security situation, Jakhar described the law and order in Punjab as "jungle raj," pointing to nine murders in the preceding seven days. He claimed the "biggest concern in Punjab’s villages is not unemployment or inflation, but the fear of children falling into drug addiction," and asserted that only the BJP could provide stable, corruption-free governance based on peace and harmony.
Context and Broader Political Claims
Echoing Jakhar's sentiments, BJP national secretary and Punjab co-incharge Narinder Raina stated that the AAP's primary objective is to oppose Modi's schemes and prevent their benefits from reaching the public. He cited Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) reports that exposed corruption in MGNREGA, justifying the overhaul to prevent the looting of funds meant for the poor.
Later, in a press conference, Jakhar challenged the Mann government to disclose how much money it had released from its own resources for village development in the past four years. He also labeled the state's health insurance scheme as deceptive, alleging the government pays a premium for coverage of only up to Rs 1 lakh, not the advertised Rs 10 lakh.
Concluding with a political forecast, Jakhar expressed confidence that the people of Punjab have decided to stand with the BJP in the next elections, believing it to be the only force capable of saving the state's youth from drugs and gun violence.
