Punjab BJP Accuses AAP Government

Hoshiarpur /Daljit Ajnoha/Oct.10 : District BJP President Nipun Sharma chaired a press conference on the Punjab government’s alleged failure in flood management. The event was attended by former Punjab BJP chief and former Union Minister Vijay Sampla, who released the party’s “chargesheet” against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, holding it responsible for the devastation caused by the 2025 floods.”Punjab’s Devastating Floods Are AAP’s Sin”: Vijay SamplaAddressing the media, Sampla accused Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s government of gross mismanagement before, during, and after the 2025 floods. He alleged that despite repeated warnings and substantial financial support from the Centre, the Punjab government failed to take preventive action or provide timely relief to flood victims.Citing the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report of March 31, 2023, Sampla claimed that the AAP government failed to properly utilise the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF). Instead of maintaining a separate account, as mandated, the state administration allegedly merged SDRF allocations—amounting to ₹12,589.59 crore—into the general fund, diverting the money towards “lavish helicopter travel, Z-category security, and propaganda activities” of AAP leaders in Delhi and Punjab.Sampla urged the state government to disclose where the Centre’s ₹12,500 crore in SDRF funds had gone, calling it the right of the people of Punjab to demand accountability. He criticised Chief Minister Mann for attempting to deflect blame onto the Union government, instead of accepting responsibility for the state’s poor preparedness.“The Mann government failed to learn any lessons from the 2023 floods,” Sampla said. “No inquiry was completed, and key recommendations were ignored. Even after early warnings from the Meteorological Department, the state failed to take preventive measures while the Chief Minister remained occupied with tours outside Punjab.”Highlighting poor river management, he said several reports had identified 133 vulnerable points along Punjab’s rivers. However, instead of strengthening embankments, illegal mining was allegedly promoted, weakening river banks and causing large-scale breaches.Concluding his remarks, Sampla termed the disaster a “man-made calamity”—or, as he put it, a “Mann-made disaster”—directly blaming Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, his ministers, and AAP’s central leadership. He asserted that Punjab needed “responsible, transparent, and sensitive governance—not one that behaves irresponsibly even in times of calamity.”Those present at the event included district general secretary Bindusar Shukla, Jindu Saini, Ashwini Gand, Bharat Bhushan Verma, Ashwini Ohri, S. M. Sidhu, Kamal Verma, and Vipul Walia.