Chief Minister of Punjab Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday said the state’s Republic Day tableau will be paraded across the state after January 26. CM Mann said the tableau will depict the contributions of freedom fighters like Bhagat Singh, Udham Singh, and Lala Lajpat Rai.
Asserting that the Centre had discriminated against the state, the chief minister of Punjab lashed out at the BJP-led central government last month for not including the state’s tableau in the Republic Day parade.
The Centre had rejected the accusation. Addressing a gathering after handing over appointment letters to 520 clerks-cum-data entry operators in the Punjab State Cooperative Bank here, Mann reiterated that the Centre insulted “great martyrs” like Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, Sukhdev, Lala Lajpat Rai, Udham Singh, and others by rejecting the state’s tableau for the Republic Day parade.
“It (tableau) will be shown across Punjab after January 26,” said Mann. Mann alleged that the Union government was trying to belittle the contribution and sacrifice of these heroes by not including the state’s tableau in the parade.
This cannot be tolerated as it is a “grave insult” to these great patriots and national leaders, said CM Mann, adding that these leaders do not need a certificate of nationalism from the BJP-led Union government.
In an apparent reference to Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar for his remarks over the state tableau, Mann said “such leaders” are becoming a stumbling block in the state’s progress.
Earlier, Jakhar accused Mann of politicising the non-inclusion of the state’s tableau for the Republic Day parade and alleged that the AAP government insisted that the tableau carried his and party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal’s photos and this was one of the reasons why it was rejected.
Mann claimed that because he comes from a common background and works “tirelessly” to secure the wellbeing of people, the established parties are jealous of him.
Mann referred to the leaders of opposition parties, stating that they find it difficult to accept that an ordinary person is effectively leading the state because they feel they have a divine right to do so.
He said these leaders “befooled” the people for a long time but now the people are not getting swayed by their misleading propaganda.
Gone are the days when a head of state ruled from his palace, now he is always amongst the people, said Mann.
Mann also said that the state has created history by purchasing the GVK power plant in Goindwal.
For the first time, a reverse trend has started and the government has purchased a private power plant whereas in the past, the state governments used to sell their assets to their favourite individuals at “throwaway” prices, he said.
As coal from the Pachwara coal mine can only be used for government power plants, the GVK plant can be utilised for producing power to provide it to every sector of the state, he added.
Mann said a complete transformation is being witnessed in the hospitals and schools in the state while new medical colleges are coming up for the well-being of the common man.
These decisions are being taken only by those who are aware of the problems of the people at the grassroots level.
Mann said the traditional political parties have ruined the state and now they are shamelessly talking about morality.
(with PTI inputs)
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