Sukhbir, Jakhar ‘enjoying feasts’ amid farmers’ protests: Bhagwant Mann

Chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday took jibes at Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and former deputy CM Sukhbir Badal and BJP state chief Sunil Jakhar for ‘enjoying feasts’ while farmers are on hunger strike or holding protests.

The chief minister made these remarks at an official event held here to distribute appointment letters to newly recruited government employees. “Everyone, except me, was there. They do not invite me to such functions. Thank God for that as I do not go to the houses of such people,” he told the gathering while speaking about his absence from Sukhbir Badal’s daughter’s wedding functions.

He claimed that such political leaders have always hobnobbed with each other to secure their interests while ignoring the matters of the state and its people. These leaders spit venom against each other from their respective stages but embrace each other in such private functions, he said.

Mann alleged that these leaders justify this by saying that this is their social obligation but they forget that due to their venomous speeches divide the people for their vested political interests but are shamefully hand in glove with each other.

“These political leaders befool the people. In villages, people fight with each other in the name of political parties, but these leaders attend the marriages and functions of each other and embrace them, which is surprising,” he said.

Earlier, Mann handed over appointment letters for government jobs to 497 youth who were recruited in water supply and sanitation, school education, rural development and science and technology departments, taking the total to 50,892 in three years. Cabinet ministers Harjot Singh Bains and Tarunpreet Singh Sondh, education secretary KK Yadav, and environment secretary Priyank Bharti were among those present.