Punjab CM slams Centre for not providing trains for pilgrimage scheme

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann Sunday slammed the Centre for not providing trains to allow pilgrims to offer prayers at religious places and said the ''malicious designs'' of the Union government will not be successful.

Mann was addressing a gathering on the occasion of the launch of Rs 1,125 crore worth development projects for Bathinda. AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal was also present on the occasion.

The Punjab CM alleged that the Union government has ''maliciously'' stalled the Mukh Mantri Tirath Yatra scheme by not allotting trains to the state.

The trains scheduled on December 7 and 15 have not been given to the state despite payment made in advance to the railways, he claimed.

The sole motive is to deprive people of not paying obeisance at revered places, he said, adding that these designs of the Union government will not be successful.

''We booked trains and paid money. They (Centre) do not want people to offer prayers. They (Railways) wrote that we do not have engines,'' said Mann, adding, ''Will they now stop us from bowing heads before the Almighty? They have stooped so low.'' The BJP dispensation wants a double-engine government in states but it does not have engines to give them to railways, Mann said.

Mann questioned what purposed such a double engine government would serve if the people do not get benefits of the schemes aimed for their welfare.

''How can they stop us from going to Hazur Sahib, Patna sahib or Varanasi'¦we offer prayers at every religious place. For us all religions are equal,'' Mann said, emphasizing that people in Punjab celebrate all festivals together.

'Will they break us in the name of religion? It is not possible,'' he said as he attacked the Centre.

''They have the problem that why riots are not taking place (in Punjab),'' Mann alleged.

The AAP government had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the railways for providing trains to take pilgrims to different religious places under the Mukh Mantri Tirath Yojna.

Mann reiterated that the Modi government is suffering from an ''anti-Punjab syndrome'' due to which they are ''hell bent on ruining the state''.

If the will of BJP-led NDA government prevails then they will omit the name of Punjab from the national anthem as well, he alleged.

He claimed that the Union government was not able to digest all ''pro-people'' decisions aimed at the welfare of a common man.

Funds for 'aam aadmi clinics' were stalled by the Union government, the chief minister said, adding that rural development funds worth Rs 5,500 crore have also been stopped by the Centre.

Had these funds been provided to the state government, a network of 67,000 km road links to villages would have been duly constructed, he said.

Mann asked the people to question the silence of BJP leaders Amarinder Singh and Sunil Jakhar on the ''anti-Punjab'' stance of the BJP.

Attacking the Badal family, Mann said people have already ousted it from the political field in assembly polls but now the time has come when their lone remaining face should be ousted from Bathinda too. He was referring to Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal.

These people had ''ruined'' the state for their vested political interests and now the time has come when they should be taught a lesson for their ''sins'', he said.