Ludhiana, February 22 Asserting that Punjab is suffering under the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) "misrule", Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Sunday expressed confidence that the BJP will come to power in the state after the 2027 assembly polls.
Addressing the BJP's 'Purvanchal Samman' rally in Giaspur here, Saini said people see through the AAP's tactics.
The rally was attended by several senior BJP leaders, including Ashwani Sharma and Anil Sareen.
Highlighting the strong bond between Punjab and Haryana, Saini likened it to "nail and flesh". He expressed concern over Punjab's condition under the AAP.
He contrasted the Haryana government's welfare measures, including the Lado Lakshmi Yojana under which a monthly assistance of Rs 2,100 is provided to eligible women and procuring 24 crops at minimum support price (MSP), with the AAP's "unfulfilled" promises of giving Rs 1,000 to women and buying crops at MSP.
Saini further accused the AAP of corruption, alleging that the Arvind Kejriwal-led party has surpassed the Congress in graft.
People see through the AAP's tactics, the CM said, adding that he is confident that the BJP will come to power after the 2027 polls in the state.
Saini said the rally is not just an event, but a message of change.
Punjab is the soul of India, a guardian of the nation's borders, the voice of the Gurus and the identity of courage, he said.
The AAP has done nothing in four years and has failed to fulfil even a single promise made to the people. The party misled the public with false assurances, the CM said.
Kejriwal and his leaders used to call themselves the epitome of honesty, "but their true face has been exposed before the entire nation". Several AAP leaders, including Kejriwal, have been to jail, he said.
Saini alleged that instead of curbing drug abuse, the AAP has allowed it to grow.
"When the BJP will form the government in Punjab in 2027, strict action will be taken against those involved in drug-related activities, and gangster culture will be eliminated," he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi believes in the politics of development, he said.
While Saini was headed to the rally venue, AAP workers showed him black flags and raised slogans against him near Jawaddi and Shimlapuri.
Leading the protest, AAP MLA from Atam Nagar Kulwant Singh Sidhu told reporters, "We are protesting today because the BJP has always adopted an anti-Punjab stance. Sitting at the Centre, they withhold funds meant for Punjab's health, education and development, and then come here to mislead the people. The people of Punjab are not naive, they know the BJP's true face very well."
Saini later said AAP workers would not have had to block his way if their party had kept its promises.
He accused the AAP of indulging in petty politics and said that this is a reflection of its poor mentality.
Punjab BJP general secretary Anil Sareen condemned the protest against Saini, saying, "The AAP has already accepted defeat in the 2027 elections. This act is a show of frustration."
Sareen warned that if AAP leaders continue such protests, BJP workers will retaliate wherever Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Kejriwal travel in the state.
