Republic Day: CM Mann vows to crush forces inimical to Punjab

Patiala: Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Sunday vowed to crush forces inimical to Punjab and foil conspiracies to disturb the state's peace, communal harmony, brotherhood and amity.

Addressing a gathering after unfurling the Tricolour on Republic Day at the local polo ground, Mann said Punjab was the land of gurus, saints, seers and martyrs and had always been a torchbearer for brotherhood and communal harmony.

Maintaining the state's hard-earned peace is the first and foremost priority for the government, Mann said and added no one would be allowed to disturb it.

The chief minister sought support and cooperation of the people to foil any conspiracy to derail peace, progress and prosperity.

He also warned that designs to create communal strife would be nipped in the bud.

The state's social bonding is so strong that any seed can grow on its fertile land but the seed of hatred will never germinate, Mann asserted.

Despite Punjab's limited natural resources, its farmers have put their sweat and toil to make the country self-reliant in food production, he claimed.

In a sombre reminder of the horrors of Parititon, Mann said lakhs of Punjabis died, rendered homeless, and many more lost their lands and properties.

He also alleged that regressive policies of consecutive central governments forced Punjab to suffer for more than seven decades after Independence.

Referring to the ongoing farmers' agitation, Mann said the Centre should accept their demands.

It is unfortunate that the hardworking farmers who made the country self-reliant in food production have been forced to agitate on Republic Day as well, Mann said.

Blaming the Centre's "apathetic attitude", Mann said the hands that fed the country had to resort to hunger strike to get their demands fulfilled.

The plight of farmers hurts every Indian who believes in constitutional values, he added.

He also demanded that the Centre should stop its "step-motherly treatment" towards Punjab and its hard working people.

Mann alleged that rural development fund of about Rs 5,500 crore had been withheld by the Centre without assigning any reason, and demanded that the amount be released.

"Many times, we have to approach the courts to seek Punjab's right from the Centre," Mann said. "But I want to make it clear that Punjabis have never bowed and Punjabis will have their rights."

The chief minister said the ethos of the democratic republic had been strengthened with every passing day during the past 75 years as the country's people displayed unflinching faith in democratic norms.

Indians, especially Punjabis, have thwarted every attempt to endanger the country's hard-earned sovereignty, he added.

Apart from safeguarding the country during several wars, brave patriots have made supreme sacrifices to protect the nation's dignity and sovereignty, Mann said.

It is a matter of pride and satisfaction that Punjabis have inherited an indomitable spirit of self-sacrifice and patriotism from Sikh gurus, who "taught us to fight against oppression, tyranny and injustice", the chief minister said.

Besides being a land of watershed movements of the Indian freedom struggle, Punjab produced sons-of-the-soil such as Lala Lajpat Rai, Diwan Singh Kalepani and others who laid down their lives to emancipate the country from the clutches of British imperialism, Mann said.

The heroic deeds of Bhagat Singh, Shivaram Rajguru, Sukhdev Thapar, Udham Singh and Kartar Singh Sarabha gave new vigour to the national freedom struggle by inspiring the younger generations to rise against the British, he added.

Mann said since he assumed charge in March 2022, he had been working closely with the ideals of Bhagat Singh and BR Ambedkar to ensure everyone's wellbeing.

He also touched upon several initiatives taken by the AAP government, including in the fields of health care, education, agriculture and industry, and the steps taken for the welfare of the poor and the common public.

The state dispensation has adopted a zero-tolerance policy towards corruption, Mann said and added 50,000 government jobs had been provided to the youth.

Mann said the state government also decided to recruit 10,000 new police personnel, a notification for which had already been issued.