Chandigarh, March 19 Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar on Thursday criticised the ruling AAP, as well as the Congress, accusing them of trying to create an anti-BJP environment under a "premeditated plan".
Jakhar added that the people of Punjab are now aware of the truth and recognize how the central government is working for farmers and all sections of society.
He said that in the 2027 assembly elections, the people of Punjab will give their verdict against the "lies" of AAP and the Congress.
Strongly criticizing both parties for spreading "misinformation" against the Centre and the BJP in Punjab, Jakhar said that AAP and the Congress are "deliberately working together" to divert people's attention from the real issues of the state.
The Punjab BJP leader countered what he called a false narrative against the BJP-led central government by presenting data.
During the UPA government, the agriculture budget was Rs 21,933 crore, whereas under the BJP government it has increased to Rs 1.30 lakh crore, said Jakhar while speaking to the media here.
Under the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme, Rs 4.27 lakh crore has been directly transferred to farmers' bank accounts.
Fertilizer subsidies, which were Rs 18,460 crore during the UPA era, have increased to Rs 1.77 lakh crore under the BJP government this year.
The UPA spent Rs 4.75 lakh crore on minimum support price (MSP) procurement, while the BJP government has spent Rs 18.98 lakh crore, said the BJP leader.
Jakhar said that procurement of pulses and oilseeds at MSP has started for the first time, and in Punjab, every grain of wheat and paddy is being procured at MSP by the central government.
Targeting Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Jakhar questioned why the state government has not implemented its own agriculture policy.
He said that the draft of the farmer policy has been ready since October 2023 and asked what was the chief minister waiting for.
He questioned what steps are being taken if there are shortcomings in the policy.
He added that if the government can formulate an industrial policy with the help of industrialists, why can it not prepare an agriculture policy with farmers.
Jakhar further said that the entire expenditure on canals and water channels in the state has been funded by the government of India but the chief minister is taking credit for projects built using central funds while simultaneously criticising the Centre.
Similarly, he said, Mann does not acknowledge central assistance for stubble management, even though a major portion of funds comes from the Centre.
He also said that the crop insurance scheme has not been implemented, questioning why the state has not introduced its own scheme despite earlier promises.