Punjab Youth Congress President Asks, “Who Do We Believe? Who Will Hand-hold Punjab Out Of This Crisis?”
Mohit Mohindra: AAP & BJP Busy Blaming Each Other; What’s The Road Ahead For Punjab?
October 7 | Patiala, Punjab: Almost a month since Punjab was declared “disaster-stricken” on September 3 following the devastating floods, Punjab Youth Congress President Mohit Mohindra today launched a blistering attack against both the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Government in Punjab and the BJP-led Central Government in Delhi.
Speaking in Patiala, Mohit said, “A cruel game is being played over the state’s misery. It’s been a month since over 50 people lost their lives, 5 lakh hectares of farmland were submerged, 20 lakh people were affected, and more than 3.5 lakh displaced. Yet, instead of coordinated relief, swift rescue operations, and genuine compensation, Punjab is witnessing political theatre.”
He accused both the ruling AAP Government and the BJP-led Centre of indulging in blame games while Punjabis continue to suffer. “What Punjab needs right now is clarity, transparency, leadership, and direction. Unfortunately, the state is being let down by both governments, who are busy scoring political points,” he added.
Highlighting the utter lack of preparedness, coordination, and seriousness, Mohindra pointed out how AAP leaders cost Punjab real compensation and caused major embarrassment when they threw random figures, lacking any ground assessment at the Centre. “Punjab CM first asked for ₹60,000 crore (pending GST dues), then an MP sought ₹49,000 crore, the party president demanded ₹20,000 crore, the Cabinet Secretary estimated losses at ₹13,289 crore, the Revenue Minister sought ₹60,000 crore, and the Finance Minister ₹20,000 crore. It’s as if every leader is blurting out whatever number comes to mind. This isn’t governance; this is guesswork. In fact, in his latest meeting with Home Minister Amit Shah on September 30, the Chief Minister sought ₹13,832 crore, claiming it to be the estimated loss,” he said.
Mohindra further criticised the Centre’s announcement of ₹1,600 crore in relief, describing it as “an insulting token gesture where no hard cash was handed out, no real compensation given to farmers. It was merely a headline number meant to grab attention, when in reality this ₹1,600 crore consisted of pre-existing schemes repackaged without any real assistance.”
Mohit then hit the nail on the head when questioning the conflicting statements over Punjab’s State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), calling it “a symbol of the total collapse of governance.” While the Prime Minister claimed Punjab had ₹12,000 crore in its SDRF kitty, AAP leaders insisted there were “zero funds.” In fact, they held a series of press conferences claiming the state’s coffers were empty. “But the fact of the matter is,” Mohindra said, “that after denying these claims for over a month, the Punjab Government finally met the 16th Finance Commission Chairman, Dr. Arvind Panagariya, in Delhi on October 1 and admitted that Punjab indeed had a total SDRF fund balance of ₹12,268 crore, including interest accumulation of ₹7,263 crore!”
“Having been completely exposed,” Mohindra added, “AAP leaders then began claiming that while the money did exist in the SDRF, the norms were too rigid for them to use these funds. But, today I want to reveal that the real issue is that the Punjab Government DID NOT maintain a separate SDRF pool. They used this money, meant for emergencies for their regular expenditure like advertisements - which in reality is a criminal act!”
Turning his criticism toward the Centre, Mohindra took aim at the series of visits by Union Ministers to Punjab, calling it an exercise in optics rather than actual relief. “Twenty-seven Union Ministers have already toured Punjab. Did any of them shell out even a rupee for our farmers? NO! Did they rebuild embankments? NO! Did they desilt fields? NO! Did they rehabilitate farmers? NO! Then why are 30 more Union Ministers coming to Punjab? For what? Is this disaster a tourist attraction for the BJP?” he questioned.
“Punjab does not need a parade of ministers,” Mohindra asserted, “but one truthful, faithful hand that leads the state out of crisis — someone who puts people above politics, takes accountability, and offers real leadership.”
Mohindra demanded that AAP come clean on the status of the initial funds released by the state government, the final amount sought from the Centre, and the exact figure in the SDRF. At the same time, he demanded accountability from the BJP-led Centre for failing to deliver any substantial relief despite repeated ministerial visits and headline-grabbing announcements.
Concluding his statement, Mohit said, “As a citizen of Punjab, as the voice of its youth, it is my duty and my right to ask — amid the blame game between AAP and BJP — who do we believe? Who is telling the truth? Who will hand-hold Punjab out of this crisis? Where is the money and the transparency? Enough of everyone’s drama — we want accountability!”
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