What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
NEW DELHI: Slamming the Centre for rejecting the Republic Day tableau of Punjab, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann accused it of demeaning and humiliating the sacrifices made by the state during the freedom struggle, on Wednesday.
“This is not the first time but last year also the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Union government had done the same mischief and by rejecting the tableau this year too, Centre has rubbed salt into the wounds of the state,” Mann addressed the media at Punjab Bhawan.
He highlighted that while devotees visited the state from all across the globe to pay respect at Sri Fatehgarh, the BJP has opted to humiliate the state whose history of sacrifices was supposed to be the highlight of their tableau. Mann added, “By rejecting these nationalistic and progressive ideas of tableaus, the Union government has insulted the sacrifice made by great patriots and national leaders.”
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader underscored that the presence of the tableau would enhance the intensity of the parade which is slated to be attended by French President, Emmanuel Macron. He highlighted, “The Modi government has deliberately kept Punjab out of this mega national event. This year also more than 90 per cent states that have been selected for tableaus are being ruled by the BJP, which indicates the ongoing saffronisation.”
He dared Punjab’s BJP leaders including Captain Amarinder Singh, Sunil Jakhar, RP Singh, Manjinder Sirsa and others to explain why grave injustice is being done with the state. “These people eulogise the tableaus of Modi but are against tableaus of great martyrs,” he said, “If it was up to the Centre, they would have struck down the name of Punjab from the national anthem as well.”
During the course of the media briefing, Mann disclosed that they had submitted three ideas with the Centre regarding the tableaus — Punjab-history of sacrifice and martyrdom, Mai Bhago- the First Lady warrior of Sikhism (women empowerment) and Rich heritage of Punjab.
The Punjab CM also highlighted that the BJP government had stopped Punjab’s trains bound for Varanasi, Patna Sahib, Nanded Sahib, Ajmer Sharif and others deliberately.
“Though the Prime Minister is daily boasting about double engine government but Railways is citing that they have no engine to run trains for this pro-people scheme (Fatehgarh Sahib),” Mann said.
Thus, the CM highlighted that he was trying to make Punjab self-sufficient so that it does not have to await Centre’s approval, or support for anything.
