Punjab’s political circles erupted on Wednesday after Finance Minister Harpal Cheema alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi openly insulted Cabinet Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian and the Punjabi language during his visit to Gurdaspur on Tuesday to review flood situation.
Addressing a press conference in Chandigarh this morning, Cheema said Khudian, with folded hands, had presented a detailed account of Punjab’s losses and urged the Prime Minister to sanction a Rs 20,000 crore relief package. Instead of responding with seriousness, Cheema claimed, Modi dismissed the plea with the remark, 'Hindi samjh ni aati, Rs 1600 crore de diye'.
“This is not only an insult to a Cabinet Minister but also to the entire Punjabi language and Punjabiyat,” Cheema said. “We respect Hindi and often use it as the national language, but that does not give anyone the right to demean Punjabi, especially on Punjab’s soil.”
The Finance Minister accused the Centre of mocking Punjab’s pain by allocating what he called a token amount that does not match the scale of devastation. Vast stretches of farmland have been buried under sand, livestock and cattle washed away, and entire families displaced, he said, adding that thousands of crores worth of crops and property have been destroyed.
Cheema alleged that Modi’s response was rooted in political vendetta. “This government has still not forgiven Punjab and its farmers for leading the revolt against the three farm laws. What we saw yesterday was not relief but revenge,” he declared.
He further accused the Prime Minister of belittling those who lost family members and livelihoods during the floods. “Instead of standing with Punjab in this hour of grief, he made fun of our situation by announcing an amount that cannot even begin to rebuild what has been lost,” Cheema said.
The remarks have ignited a fierce war of words, with opposition leaders also questioning why Punjab’s demand for a larger package was brushed aside. Many see the Centre’s stance as politically motivated, especially with the BJP seeking to make inroads in Punjab ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.
Cheema’s revelation, meanwhile, has added fuel to the fire, turning what was expected to be an announcement of relief into a fresh flashpoint between Punjab and the Centre.