Chandigarh, March 9 (IANS) Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Monday accused the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab of indulging in “election-time freebie politics,” claiming the people in the state are disillusioned with the government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. ​

CM Saini told the media here that people in Punjab are increasingly disillusioned with the government’s policies and are now looking for an alternative ahead of the next polls. ​

Responding to the Punjab government’s budget announcement of providing Rs 1,500 to women belonging to the Scheduled Category (SC) and Rs 1,000 to other women, the Chief Minister said the AAP government is making such promises with the upcoming Assembly elections in mind. ​

However, he said these announcements would not benefit the party politically as the people of Punjab had already decided to bring about a change in the government. ​

CM Saini said that whether it was the earlier Congress governments or the present AAP regime, both had a history of making populist promises and distributing “freebies” during elections. ​

Taking a swipe at former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, he said that Kejriwal too used to make attractive announcements during elections and claimed that the Bhagwant Mann government in Punjab would face a similar outcome in the next Assembly polls. ​

The Chief Minister said that whenever people from Punjab meet him, they complain that the state government is creating hurdles to the implementation of the Ayushman Bharat scheme launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. As a result, many eligible beneficiaries are unable to avail themselves of the scheme’s benefits. ​

The Chief Minister said it is truly unfortunate that the government led by Mann has, on many occasions, attempted to obstruct programmes during his recent visit to Punjab. ​

He said whenever the Punjab Chief Minister visits Haryana, he is always accorded full respect in accordance with the protocol due to a Chief Minister. ​

CM Saini further expressed concern over the reported use of tear gas on women employees who were protesting for their rights on the occasion of International Women’s Day, and termed the incident as deeply unfortunate. ​

He said such actions send an inappropriate message, especially on a day dedicated to recognising and respecting the contributions and rights of women. ​

–IANS

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