In a scathing critique of the ruling dispensation, senior Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly, Partap Singh Bajwa, launched a fierce attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann this Friday. The central allegation revolves around the alleged denial of crucial social security pensions to a staggering 35.27 lakh beneficiaries across the state.
Allegations of Callousness and Misplaced Priorities
Bajwa accused the Mann administration of exhibiting profound callousness and severe financial mismanagement. He stated that lakhs of the state's most vulnerable citizens, including senior citizens, widows, and persons with disabilities, have been forced to wait for months to receive their rightful pensions. These funds, he emphasized, often constitute their sole means of survival.
Contrasting this hardship, the Congress leader alleged that the state government continues to splurge public money on advertisements, publicity campaigns, and self-promotion. "It is a moral failure of the highest order," Bajwa declared. "A government that came to power claiming to represent the poor has completely abandoned Punjab's most marginalised citizens. For these pensioners, this is not charity, it is their right. Denying them even this meagre support is nothing short of cruelty."
Questioning New Schemes Amidst Pending Dues
The Qadian legislator sharply questioned the government's credibility and priorities. He demanded to know how the Mann government could announce new welfare schemes, such as health insurance programmes, while failing to ensure the timely disbursal of existing social security pensions.
"Before making flashy announcements and selling illusions of welfare, the government must clear the dues of those who are already suffering because of its negligence," the senior leader asserted. He called upon the administration to immediately release all pending pension payments and to cease misleading the public with hollow promises and headline-grabbing announcements.
Warning of Fiscal Collapse and Betrayal of Trust
Broadening his criticism, Partap Singh Bajwa alleged that the four years of AAP rule have pushed Punjab into deep financial distress. He claimed that reckless economic management has brought the state to the brink of a fiscal collapse, where even routine administrative expenses are being met through borrowed funds.
"Today, even routine administrative expenses are being met through borrowed money, while the weakest sections are made to pay the price," he said. Bajwa concluded with a stern warning, stating that this betrayal of trust would not be forgotten by the people of Punjab. "The people of Punjab are watching and they will hold this government accountable," he warned.
