Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann targeted opposition parties on Sunday while dedicating projects worth ₹28.68 crore to the people of Jaito, Faridkot.Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Sunday attacked the BJP, Congress and Akali Dal, questioning their record in power and accusing them of promoting “nepotism and criminal elements” in politics.Criticising the Centre over poverty and rising hardships, Mann said the 2022 mandate for the ‘jhaadu’ (AAP’s electoral symbol) has begun to realise the dreams of freedom fighter Bhagat Singh.The chief minister was addressing a gathering after unveiling projects worth Rs 28.68 crore, including the upgradation of the Community Health Centre into a 30-bed hospital and key investments in drinking water and sports infrastructure, in Faridkot’s Jaito.Announcing to enact a stringent anti-sacrilege law with provisions of no bail for one year and life imprisonment at a special Assembly session called on April 13, Mann held the 2027 elections “as a clear choice, as the Congress symbolises the legacy of anti-Sikh riots, the Akali Dal stands discredited, and the AAP represents a governance-driven alternative committed to building a ‘Rangla Punjab’.”“Every vote cast to Akalis will be a mandate in favour of the sacrilege of Guru and Gurbani. The Akalis bruised the psyche of every individual through the desecration of Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji. Akalis disrespected the Bani of the great Guru Sahiban and ordered firing on the innocents in Behbal Kalan and Bargari,” the chief minister said.Mann said, “The Akalis should be booked for the genocide of generations as the drug trade was patronised by them and flourished during their long misrule. The hands of these leaders are drenched with the blood of millions of youth who fell prey to drugs supplied in the state in their official vehicles.”Attacking SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia, Mann said, “Everyone knows that this family was a stooge of the Britishers and was conferred the title of ‘Sir’ by them for hobnobbing against patriots. The family had feted General Dyer, the perpetrator of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre on April 13, 1919, by hosting a dinner for him after that heinous incident. This act exposed their anti-national and anti-Punjab mindset.”Story continues below this ad“Not only this, but the family also ensured that General Dyer was bestowed siropa and forgiveness at the Golden Temple. What’s even more shocking is that Jathedar Arood Singh, who granted the siropa, was the maternal grandfather of former Lok Sabha MP Simranjit Singh Mann,” the chief minister said.Mann said people would have three pens to choose from in 2027. “The first pen is the Congress with red ink symbolising an attack on Sri Harmandir Sahib, riots of 1984 and other anti-Sikh stances. The second pen is of Akalis with one ink of desecration of Sri Guru Granth Sahib. And, the third pen is AAP, which is transforming Punjab into Rangla Punjab through path-breaking initiatives.”The chief minister said, “The land of Jaito has always written history, and it deserves our salute. Whether it is literature or struggle, whenever the need arose in any field, Jaito has always stepped forward and stood at the forefront.”Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:chandigarh