Chandigarh: The Opposition parties in Punjab have raised multiple questions regarding the government’s anti-drug rally and have objected to the presence of government officials on the occasion. The government’s “War Against Drugs” event in Moga was attended by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal, senior leader Manish Sisodia, and several cabinet ministers.
The state’s Chief Secretary and Director General of Police had also shared stage with them and addressed the crowd, sparking a massive political debate.
The Opposition parties have not only targeted the AAP government’s anti-drug campaign, the Chief Secretary and DGP have also faced criticism.
What Amarinder Singh Raja Warring Said
Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring took jabs at the government and administration on social media, writing that 890 government buses were diverted for the rally.
Patwaris, Divisional Public Prosecutors (BDPOs), Panchayat Secretaries, and other government officials were tasked with bringing Aam Aadmi Party workers to the rally. The bill for the event will be paid by the state treasury, he alleged.
“The Chief Minister and the DGP are addressing a political forum,” he said.
Pratap Bajwa Targets Government
Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition Pratap Singh Bajwa expressed deep concern over what he called dangerous erosion of administrative neutrality in Punjab.
He questioned the diversion of approximately 890 government buses and the presence of the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police on the political stage.
“Governance cannot become a spectacle for political endorsements,” Bajwa said.
He further said the alleged deployment of state resources and top officials at an AAP event led by the Chief Minister and party chief Arvind Kejriwal sends a disturbing message to citizens and civil servants.
“When the lines between government and party become blurred, integrity in public life is the first to erode, and ultimately, the taxpayer pays the price. The Mann government, acting at the behest of Arvind Kejriwal, appears to be turning Punjab’s governance into a political extension of the AAP leadership,” he said.
What Punjab BJP Chief Said
Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar also turned to social media, criticising the AAP government, the Chief Secretary, and the DGP.
Seeing the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police at the Aam Aadmi Party rally makes one wonder if India’s “steel frame” bureaucrats have now succumbed to political whims, he wrote.
He also questioned whether it was not a blatant violation of the All India Service Rules.
Akali Dal Says Misuse of Funds
The Shiromani Akali Dal also issued a statement, urging the Governor and the Election Commission to take cognizance of the misuse of government funds to organize the Aam Aadmi Party rally in Moga.
Senior party leader Daljit Singh Cheema said the entire amount spent on the rally should be recovered from the Aam Aadmi Party. He also strongly condemned the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police for addressing a political rally. He said this would politicise the state’s rightful occasion and this is not good for democracy.
