Jammu, Feb 27: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National General Secretary Tarun Chugh on Thursday slammed the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab for creating unnecessary ruckus over the CBSE language policy and misleading the people of Punjab through “divisive politics”.
He strongly accused Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains of distorting facts and using the issue for political mileage instead of constructively engaging with the central government.
Chugh in a statement clarified that Punjabi holds a significant place in India’s linguistic framework and remains a subject of pride for Punjabis across the country. The alleged clerical error in the CBSE draft policy was swiftly acknowledged and corrected after the issue was raised. However, instead of appreciating the quick resolution, AAP leaders chose to fan tensions and mislead the public for political gains.
He reminded Punjabis that “Congress has a long history of undermining regional languages”. “It was under the Congress rule that Punjabis had to fight for decades to get their language the recognition it deserved. Chugh accused AAP of following Congress’ divisive legacy by exploiting sensitive issues for narrow political benefits.”
Chugh reaffirmed the BJP’s commitment to promoting and preserving the Punjabi language at all levels and urged people not to fall for AAP’s “deceitful propaganda”.
Taking strong objection to AAP’s latest move, the BJP leader alleged that the Bhagwant Mann government made a “dubious” decision to involve Manish Sisodia, the main accused in the infamous Delhi Liquor Scam, in drafting Punjab’s new liquor policy. He questioned the Punjab CM’s intentions, asking whether the AAP government was planning to replicate the corrupt and scandalous Delhi liquor policy in Punjab.
Chugh condemned AAP for inviting a tainted leader who is facing serious corruption charges and questioned why the Mann government is outsourcing its policymaking to an accused individual instead of consulting experts with clean records. He accused AAP of turning Punjab into a hub for corrupt practices and reminded Punjabis how the Delhi liquor policy led to massive revenue losses and scams under the Kejriwal government.
The BJP leader slammed Congress for its silence on this issue, stating that their inaction proves their complicity with AAP’s misdeeds. “Congress leaders in Punjab are more interested in political survival than standing up for the people’s interests,” he said.
“The BJP will not allow Punjab to be turned into another Delhi, where liquor mafia and corruption thrived under AAP’s rule,” he said.
