Maghi Mela Conference: CM Mann targets Akali-Congress, says they pushed Punjab towards ruin
Babushahi Network
Chandigarh, January 14, 2026:Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, addressing a political conference organised on the occasion of Maghi Mela, launched a scathing attack on the Shiromani Akali Dal and the Congress, accusing the two parties of jointly pushing Punjab “towards hell” through their misgovernance over the years.
The Chief Minister claimed that the policies and development initiatives of the Aam Aadmi Party government have begun to restore confidence among the youth, including those settled abroad. He said many young Punjabis are now expressing a desire to return home and contribute to the state’s progress.
“I receive calls from youth living abroad who say they want to come back to Punjab,” Mann said, adding that while some may be overage for government jobs, the state government is extending full support to help them establish businesses and become self-reliant.
Taking a swipe at Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal, Mann said opposition leaders often highlight each other’s mistakes in interviews but ignore the suffering caused to the public by their own policies. Referring to development claims, he remarked that if the Akalis take credit for roads and markets, they must also accept responsibility for incidents like Bargari, which occurred during their regime.
The Chief Minister asserted that his government has achieved in four years what previous governments failed to do in seven decades, citing free electricity and employment generation as key accomplishments.
Mann further stated that the people of Punjab have become politically aware and predicted that the Akali Dal would never return to power in the state. Responding to allegations that the AAP government is being run from Delhi, he blamed traditional political families, including the Badals and the Captains, for Punjab’s present condition.