BJP’s anti-Punjab and anti-Punjabi face exposed again: Aman Arora slams centre for deceiving Punjab on flood Relief
Chandigarh(The Uttam Hindu): Punjab Cabinet Minister Aman Arora on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led central government for its anti-Punjab attitude and its deceitful handling of the state’s demand for a special flood relief package. Addressing a press conference in Chandigarh, Arora, accompanied by AAP senior spokesperson Neel Garg, said the way the Centre and PIB presented misleading figures after Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann’s meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah was nothing short of a betrayal of Punjab and its people.
“Once again, the BJP government’s anti-Punjab and anti-Punjabi face has been exposed,” Arora said. He reminded that after the devastating floods in Punjab, CM Mann had personally met Amit Shah and placed three major demands before him, A special package of ₹13,800 crore for Punjab’s flood relief and rehabilitation, Relaxation in SDRF/NDRF rules so that real compensation could reach affected families and farmers and Special consideration and relaxation for crop damages due to heavy rainfall, including issues of broken rice, discoloured rice and high moisture.
“During the meeting, Shah had assured Punjab that the Centre would extend help as and when required. But just a few hours later, the PIB issued a press release which exposed the truth: instead of approving Punjab’s demands, the Centre tried to mislead by showing that Punjab already has ₹12,590 crore available under SDRF,” Arora revealed.
Arora pointed out that this claim is a blatant attempt to confuse people. “Even if the Punjab government were to fully utilise these funds according to the Centre’s rigid norms, not even ₹1,200 crore can be released. Punjab has suffered damages worth thousands of crores, including 5 lakh acres of destroyed crops, houses, schools, hospitals and roads. At ₹6,800 per acre, just crop losses alone come to ₹340 crore. How can the Centre claim that a mere fraction of SDRF money will suffice?” he asked.
He further said CM Mann had written to the Centre on 31 August demanding fair revisions in SDRF norms, like increasing death compensation from ₹4 lakh to ₹8 lakh, disability compensation to ₹1.5 lakh, and house damage compensation from a meagre ₹6,500 to at least ₹50,000. “Tell me, in today’s time, can any family rebuild their house with ₹6,500? The state government demanded a revision. Is this wrong? Is it wrong to ask for justice for our people?” Arora asked.
Slamming the misleading propaganda around the so-called ₹1,600 crore package announced by the Prime Minister, Arora said: “Out of this, ₹805 crore is not new money at all, ₹170 crore was already sanctioned by NHAI long ago and other amounts are from existing schemes like PM Awas Yojana. Even the SDRF advance installment of ₹260 crore, which would have come irrespective of floods, has been wrongly shown as part of this package. This is nothing but backstabbing Punjab at a time of tragedy. While people lost their homes, children lost their books and families are still struggling for food, the Centre is fooling Punjab with cooked-up figures.”
Aman Arora strongly condemned Punjab BJP leaders, Sunil Jakhar, Ashwani Sharma, and Ravneet Bittu, for acting as “cheerleaders” of this betrayal. “Instead of standing with their own people in this crisis, they are clapping for the Centre’s lies. Jakhar, Sharma and Bittu should answer Punjab: why are you silent when your own state is being deceived? Why are you siding with Delhi when your people are drowning?” he asked.
Calling the Centre’s approach “inhuman and unfortunate,” Arora said this was not just financial injustice but an insult to every Punjabi who suffered in the floods. “This is the biggest betrayal Punjab has seen in recent times. When we needed compassion, the Centre gave us calculations. When we needed help, they gave us humiliation. Once again the BJP has stabbed Punjab in the back.”