Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on Wednesday claimed that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was facing "Badal phobia" and can't even sleep at night without taking his name.
Asking Bhagwant Mann to tell one thing he had done for Punjab, Badal said the chief minister was facing "Badal phobia".
Claiming that all social welfare benefits, including aata-daal, Shagun and old age pension, are non-functional or severely restricted, Badal said "he is consumed by a Badal phobia. He has nothing else to say in his speeches."
Badal attacks Mann over welfare schemes
"Why is the SC scholarship scheme virtually closed? He has no answer on why he has stopped all these initiatives started by the SAD and instead is resorting to pasting his face across Punjab, never mind the fact that no one wants to see it," Badal said.
He has no answer for why he has stopped all these initiatives started by the SAD, Badal said, adding that instead he is resorting to pasting his face across the State, "never mind the fact that no one wants to see it."
Addressing a rally at Nihal Singh Wala as part of the party’s ‘Punjab Bachao’ campaign, he said, "If you listen to Mann's speeches, he will only take my name repeatedly. He can't sleep at night till the time he takes my name."
Badal alleged that AAP looted Punjab and people are waiting for the polls to teach them a lesson.
Various sections were fed up with the alleged misrule of AAP, Badal said, claiming that once the polls are close, the chief minister will not be able to enter villages.
Assembly polls in Punjab are scheduled to be held early next year.
Badal raises farmers, protests and drug menace
Claiming that Bhagwant Mann would reap what he had sown, Badal said, "Mann promised to use his ‘hara (green) pen’ for the welfare of the people. All it has been used for is to thrash farmers, employees and women."
"It has not spared even those conducting democratic protests like Mohanjit Singh in Sheron village or Gulzar Singh, who only voiced how the open availability of synthetic drugs was destroying an entire generation," Badal said.
Mohanjit Singh, a resident of Sangrur, had claimed that the police tortured him in custody following his detention after he waved a black flag near the venue of Mann's 'Lok Milni' programme on September 2. He had claimed that he was raising slogans against the AAP government's alleged failure to curb the drug menace.
Gulzar Singh, hailing from Turbanjara village in Dirba, died on September 7 after allegedly consuming poison. His family alleged that he was harassed and subjected to casteist slurs for questioning Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema about the supply of drugs in his area at an event in Dirba the day before.
Badal also claimed that the statue of Dr B R Ambedkar had been desecrated twice recently "but no action had been taken in the matter".
Taking on the AAP government, Badal alleged Rs 6,000 crore had been wasted on advertisements, but power had not been purchased on time to prevent prolonged power cuts which were affecting both farmers and domestic consumers besides disrupting industrial operations.
SAD pitch ahead of Punjab assembly polls
Urging people to support "their own regional party", Badal said every development project in Punjab, thermal plants, roads, airports or irrigation projects and Mandis, came in the SAD government's tenure.
Under the leadership of former chief minister, late Parkash Singh Badal, the SAD had also ushered in an era of peace and communal harmony, he said.
"This is not to the liking of anti-Punjab forces and this is why I was attacked twice (in Amritsar and Nanded), he said, slamming Waris Punjab De outfit.
The Waris Punjab De will endanger the future of Punjab's children and push the state into deeper crisis, he said, alleging that they are "worse" than AAP.
Recently, Badal had attacked jailed Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh, who is also the chief of Waris Punjab De, alleging that he wanted to take Punjab back to the 1980s when no one was safe. Amritpal Singh heads the Akali Dal.