Hoshiarpur, April 7 Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday accused the Congress and Akali Dal of "ruining" the state while in power, further claiming that the rival parties were in cahoots and engaged in a game of musical chairs to secure each other's interests.
In a series of attacks on the opposition parties, he said they never speak against each other but "spew venom" against him every day because he has "exposed" them before the people.
"These are traitors who have never been loyal to the state and its people," he said.
Mann was addressing a gathering after laying the foundation stone for a Rs 268 crore medical college and 300-bed hospital here. He also announced the establishment of the Shaheed Udham Singh State Institute of Medical Sciences, which is expected to be completed within two years.
During his address, Mann said, "For more than 70 years in the post-independence era, the traditional parties mercilessly plundered the state. Due to their regressive and divisive policies, the state has lagged behind in development, causing suffering to the people."
However, he said, in the last four years, holistic development of the state has been ensured, and for the first time, the state government has fulfilled all the promises made to the people in such a short span.
"Opposition parties are hatching conspiracies to defame me, as they are envious of the work being done by the state government for the well-being of the masses."
"These leaders are in cahoots with each other and play the game of musical chairs to secure each other's interests while in power. However, the AAP government has upset their plans by removing them from power, thereby fulfilling the aspirations of the common people," Mann said.
Lambasting former chief ministers, Mann said Amarinder Singh and Parkash Singh Badal never resided in official residences meant for the chief ministers in Chandigarh during their tenure.
"Rather, these leaders lived in their own palatial houses that have been constructed in Chandigarh, as they didn't feel comfortable in the government houses. The Akalis got five opportunities to govern the state, but instead of serving the people, they mercilessly plundered the people and the state," he alleged.
Slamming the Shiromani Akali Dal further, Mann claimed that Sukhbir Singh Badal, the party's chief, is not aware of the ground realities, as throughout his life, he has "lived in a secure environment with luxuries and opulence".
"Sukhbir Badal is a convent-educated political leader of Punjab who is not aware of the basic topography of the state but wants to attain political power in Punjab. Leaving everything aside, he cannot even differentiate the basic crops of the state as he has scant knowledge about the basic issues," he claimed.
When people elected him as the chief minister, the then Congress leader, Amarinder Singh, confined himself to the "palace" and visited the state "only 10 times", he said.
Those who proclaimed to be saviours of the waters of the state had destroyed water and those who projected themselves as 'sewadars of bani' failed to check desecration, Mann said, as he criticised Amarinder and the Badals.
"Congress and Akali Dal were the termites that ruined the state after independence due to which Punjab lagged behind in the path of progress," he alleged.
On this occasion, Mann also laid the foundation stone of a Rs 9.18 crore community health centre to benefit over 40 villages, alongside seven additional health and wellness centres in the constituency.
Mann further inaugurated the Rs 99 crore Balachaur-Garhshankar-Hoshiarpur-Dasuya road project, a 105 km corridor set to enhance connectivity between Chandigarh, Pathankot and Jammu and Kashmir.