Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Friday assailed the state BJP President Sunil Jakhar for ‘putting foot in his mouth’ by speaking a naked lie on the issue of rejection of Tableau by the BJP led Union government.
In a statement issued here today, the Chief Minister said that while the state government had always maintained that the Modi government had rejected the Tableau of the state because of its anti-Punjab syndrome, but Jakhar was trying to be ‘more loyal than the king’ by justifying the move of Union government that too on false ground. He said that Jakhar misled the people of the state by asserting that the tableaus of the state government had his pictures, which was just a figment of his imagination. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that now that the Ministry of Defence had made it crystal clear that there were no pictures in the tableau, the lie of Jakhar has been exposed.
The Chief Minister said that the tableaus designed by the state government were aimed at showcasing the rich cultural heritage of the state along with tradition of sacrifice and martyrdom during the Republic Day Parade. Slamming the BJP led Union government for rejecting the tableau of state for the Republic Day parade, he reiterated that the ‘power mad’ centre government is demeaning the enormous sacrifices made by Punjabis in the national freedom struggle. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that BJP government is playing such dirty tactics to humiliate Punjab adding that martyrdom and sacrifices is part of the glorious heritage of the state which was to be duly highlighted in the tableaus of state.
However, the Chief Minister said that by rejecting these nationalistic and progressive ideas of tableaus, the Union government has insulted the great sacrifice made by great patriots and national leaders. He said that unfortunately the newly transformed ‘Bhakts’ like Jakhar are blindly justifying the arbitrary moves of the Modi government by completely ignoring the interests of the state. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that it is shameful that despite hailing from Punjab these leaders are hand in glove with their high command, for demeaning the contribution of state, just for vested political interests.
The Chief Minister said that state BJP chief Sunil Jakhar is yet to master the art of lying as per whims and fancies of his masters. He said that Jakhar had recently joined BJP so he is yet to adapt himself in reading the scripts prepared by their high command. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that it is unfortunate that BJP leadership is humiliating the state and these leaders are singing their paeans.