Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Wednesday said that in dearth of any tangible issue against him and his government the leaders of opposition parties had run away from the ‘Main Punjab Bolda Haan’ debate held today to discuss the issues confronted by the state.

“These leaders were not able to find even a single thing against me or my government during ‘preparatory holidays’ of last 25 days due to which they were not able to muster courage to face me on issues concerning Punjab,” said the Chief Minister during his address at ‘Main Punjab Bolda Haan’ debate.

The Chief Minister categorically said that if these leaders have been ousted by the people that doesn’t absolve them of all the crimes against the state. He said that whenever these leaders come to people they must ask them why they had run away from this debate on Punjab issues. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that since these leaders had enjoyed the fruits of power for a long time in the state they are answerable to the people of state.

The Chief Minister said that these leaders were invited to the debate so that every one of them could present their aspect on the platform. However, he said that instead of coming here these leaders had preferred to run away by citing frivolous reasons. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that but he won’t allow these people to escape and their every misdeed will be exposed before the people of the state.

The Chief Minister assailed these leaders for indulging in theatricals to mislead the people of the state. He said that it is a well-known fact that the ancestors of these leaders have sown thorns before the Punjab and its younger generations by indulging in this unpardonable crime of constructing the SYL. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that for the sake of their vested interests, these selfish political leaders had agreed, planned, and executed the construction of this canal.

The Chief Minister said that everyone knows that former Union Minister Balram Jakhar (father of Sunil Jakhar) along with Captain Amarinder Singh accompanied the then Prime Minister Mrs Indira Gandhi to perform the groundbreaking ceremony of SYL at Kapuri. Similarly, he said that former Chief Minister of Haryana Chaudhary Devi Lal had hailed his then counterpart in Punjab Parkash Singh Badal for allowing the survey of this canal. Bhagwant Singh Mann the hands of these leaders are drenched with this crime against the state and history will never forgive them for backstabbing Punjab.

The Chief Minister said that the debate will go down in annals of Punjab history as a historic document regarding who and how Punjab has been looted till now, nepotism (bhai-bhatija, saala-jeeja), favouritism, toll plazas, youth, agriculture, trade-shopkeepers, sacrilege, river waters and others. He said that the leaders of traditional political parties have deceived Punjab on all these issues for which they are answerable to the people of state. Bhagwant Singh Mann unequivocally said that the hands of these leaders are drenched with this crime against the state and history will never forgive them for backstabbing Punjab.