The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab on Tuesday strongly condemned the attack on a bus operating under the Punjab Government’s Mukh Mantri Teerath Yatra Scheme and said that the incident was carried out by Congress Karyakartas (workers) who were frustrated by the growing popularity and success of the welfare initiative.
Addressing a press conference, AAP Punjab Media Incharge Baltej Pannu, accompanied by AAP leader Shaminder Singh Khinda, said the Bhagwant Mann Government’s Mukh Mantri Teerath Yatra Scheme has emerged as one of the state’s most successful public welfare initiatives, enabling lakhs of people to undertake pilgrimages free of cost.
Calling out the Congress, Baltej Pannu said, “Opposition parties are unable to digest the success of the Bhagwant Mann Government’s welfare initiatives. When the AAP government came to power, the opposition claimed it would not survive even three months. When the government completed three months, they said it would not complete a year. Today, the government is successfully completing its five-year term.”
Baltej Pannu also pointed out the opposition of repeatedly spreading baseless rumours whenever Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann goes for routine medical check-ups, alleging that they have consistently tried to create unnecessary speculation to mislead the public.
Referring to the attack on the Teerath Yatra bus, Baltej Pannu said that two persons arrested by the Amritsar Rural Police, Gurpinder Singh alias Lali and Baljit Singh Sheesha, have links with the Congress party.
Meanwhile, Shaminder Singh Khinda informed that more than 3.5 lakh devotees have already benefited from the scheme by visiting revered religious places including Sri Anandpur Sahib, Mata Naina Devi Temple and Sri Darbar Sahib. He added that in the coming days, the government will also start pilgrimage services to Haridwar, Rishikesh, Mathura, Vrindavan, Khatu Shyam and Salasar Dham.