Chandigarh: The opposition parties, namely Congress and BJP in Punjab, have hit out at the chief minister Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government after its three Cabinet ministers were purportedly heard in a video discussing ``their cruise trips in Sweden and Goa’’ during a flood inspection in Tarn Taran district.
The said video which shows three ministers – Laljit Singh Bhullar, Barinder Kumar Goyal and Harbhajan – sitting on a boat wearing life jackets while inspecting the a flood-hit region - is said to be from a Facebook live-stream on Bhullar’s account in which the ministers were purportedly heard discussing their Sweden and Goa cruise trips.
Taking on the ministers trio Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Partap Bajwa said on X that ``flood-hit families in Punjab beg for a glass of drinking water, but AAP Punjab’s ministers Barinder Goyal, Laljit Bhullar and Harbhajan Singh found time to relive their `golden memories’ of luxury cruises in Sweden and Goa. What a relief tour!’’, he said.
Senior BJP leader Tarun Chugh also said (in Hindi) on X that ``Punjab has drowned, fields have been destroyed, houses damaged and the families are on the streets. But even in this situation, the ministers are talking about a Sweden-Goa cruise while sitting on a board instead of sharing the pain of the flood victims. The people are asking, did Punjab give you power so that you can recount stories of luxury at the time of crisis? Or, so that you can reduce our troubles?’’.
"The truth is that chief minister Bhagwant Mann and his entire Cabinet has failed to live up to the expectations of the people’’, Chug added.
In the video, Harbhajan Singh was heard saying that he went on a cruise to Sweden and there was everything on the ship itself, hotel and all. Goyal could be heard saying that it was the same in Goa.
It may be recalled that several districts of the state have been severely hit by floods affecting 1,018 villages in Pathankot, Fazilka, Tarn Taran, Sri Muktsar Sahib, Sangrur, Ferozepur, Kapurthala, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur and Moga; The NDRF, SDRF, Army and state police are playing a vital role in the rescue and evacuation operations with active support from local communities.
