Punjab CM Takes Aim at Rival Parties at Rakhar Punia Festival

CHANDIGARH: With less than six months left for the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections, an intense political showdown was witnessed among the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De) at the annual Rakhar Punia festival in Baba Bakala, a historic town in Amritsar district. The parties held separate political conferences and traded attacks, while the BJP set up its own political stage at the event for the first time. Addressing a gathering at a function to mark Rakhar Punia, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann said, "Several modern-day masands are holding rallies on this occasion to mislead the people on the pretext of religion. Wise people of the state have ousted these leaders who were living in palatial houses during their heydays of power and had never bothered about the masses. Those who claimed that they would rule the state for 25 years have been sent to political oblivion by the people." Mann alleged, "During their long misrule, the Akalis committed the sin of beadbi (disrespect) to Guru Granth Sahib, shielding the perpetrators of this heinous crime and allowing firing on the innocent people. Every vote to Akalis will be a mandate in favour of beadbi . The Akali leadership can never be forgiven as it was responsible for the genocide of several generations of the state as drug trade was patronised by them and bloomed during their long era of misrule." Attacking the BJP, Mann said, "BJP can win from any state in the country but it should never dream of winning from here. The people of the state are well aware of the dubious character of BJP and they will definitely teach it a lesson. Punjabis can never forget how the food growers of the state were humiliated by the BJP during the protest against the draconian farm laws." Taking a jibe at the infighting in the Congress, he said, "While they are squabbling for the power for their vested political interest. Congress has no vision for the people and the state. The Congress is a divided house that will collapse due to their infighting."