Although Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s much-publicised maiden roadshow for the upcoming Sangrur Lok Sabha bypoll began on a high note in the morning at Bhadaur market, it gradually tapered off as the day progressed. At some places, it was marked by protests as well. The roadshow, by and large, received a lukewarm response from the public on Thursday.
Even though people came out of their houses and shops, they showed little enthusiasm to join the CM’s roadshow – quite a departure from the response he got during the Vidhan Sabha poll campaign.
Mann covered a number of villages of Bhadaur and Barnala constituencies on Thursday.
While he faced protests from some youngsters at Tapa market, Mann in a video footage could be seen turning a blind eye to the negative response, with a smile and a wave of his hand.Best of Express Premium
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Protests were witnessed in Shehna and Handyiya areas as well.
The roadshow started from Bhadaur market around 8 am where he got a good response.
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At Tapa market, the Galla mazdoor union members vented their anger against the state government on the moong issue. They said moong was being procured, bypassing the arhtiyas (commission agents). As a result, the mazdoors employed in mandis and the arhtiyas were getting a raw deal.
At the same site, the ration depot holders also waved black flags at CM’s convoy.
One Avtar Singh Fakharsar, a protesting depot holder, said, “Mann had stated that his government will end unemployment, but soon after they came to power, they made 27,000 depot holders redundant, as now they have started a doorstep ration delivery scheme. And, moreover, Markfed has been made the agency for ration distribution. So where should we go?”
The roadshow covered Bhadaur, Shehna, Pakho Kenchian, Ugoke, Dhilwan, Tapa and other areas in Bhadaur, while it covered Barnala city, Court chowk, Handayiya, Sekhan, Upli and other areas in Barnala.
Sources said Mann did not speak at over 10 places because of protests.
Addressing public gatherings during the roadshow, Mann said that the opposition was scared of him as his government was cracking down on corruption. Lashing out at the opposition for creating uproar over alleged deterioration of law and order situation in the state, Mann said that the opposition parties were baffled by the good governance of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) regime in Punjab.
The CM said that opposition leaders are jittery because of his government’s action against corruption and mafia. They are afraid they may have to go to jail.
He said, “A few are behind bars already and some more will be in jail soon. We arrested former Congress minister (Sadhu Singh Dharamsot) from his house at 3 am. The Vigilance team told us that he can be arrested in the morning as well, but I insisted to arrest him immediately before he joins BJP.”
However, the CM ruffled a few netizens’ feathers on social media with his ‘BJP joining’ remark i.e. “If a leader joins BJP, will no action be taken against him?”
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal said that the people of this constituency had passed ‘a vote of no-confidence’ against Mann and the AAP government by holding widespread protests across the constituency against the chief minister for betraying their interests.
Talking to reporters at Sunam after addressing public gatherings in favour of SAD-BSP candidate Kamaldeep Kaur Rajoana for the Sangrur bypoll, the SAD president said, “People have shown the mirror to Mann. Despite huge security arrangements, people came out spontaneously in protest against him. This shows Mann now cannot even visit his own erstwhile constituency without police security.”
Mann said, “Actually, the Akali Dal and the Congress are not able to digest how a common man has become the CM and how he is taking pro-people decisions for the welfare of Punjab.”
Praising the candidate, Gurmel Singh, Mann said that Singh is a young man like him and understands the pain of the common man. By becoming an MP, he will raise the voice of the people of Sangrur in Lok Sabha.
Lambasting SAD (Amritsar) candidate Simranjit Mann, the CM said, “We advocate love, peace and brotherhood. We are talking about saving Punjab’s water and farmers and giving employment to the youth. However, Simranjit talks about bullets and swords. Violence does not benefit any society.”
The CM claimed that it has been only three months of the AAP government in Punjab. But in such a short time the government has taken some big decisions, which the governments in the past could not take in the last 75 years.
He said, “Every penny of the public is now being spent on people and we will take our money back from the corrupt leaders which ‘they have looted’ from the public. I stand by my promise to make Punjab happy and prosperous again by eliminating corruption and mafia.”
He said, “In just three months, we have shown the people of Punjab that this government has teeth.”
Mann said that till now, 5,800 acres of ‘sarkari’ land was made free of encroachment, while more such action will be taken in the coming days
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