On Bhagat Singh’s birth anniversary, Punjab CM Mann says students will be taught about Sikh gurus, prophets and martyrs

Mann also felicitated Bhagat Singh’s family members Harjinder Pal Singh Gill, Baldev Singh Nasrala, Ravinder Singh, Gurjit Kaur and Harbhajan Singh Dhatt.

Mann said the state government would realise Bhagat Singh’s dreams and ensure that no one from the state has to immigrate. The dreams remained unfulfilled as corruption, nepotism, and poverty still rule the roost, he said, adding that those who came to power after British rule had plundered the country more mercilessly than the foreigners.

Mann said that he was peeved to hear when some people said the British rule was better, adding that this notion needed to be changed. He also called upon people to rise above the parochial considerations of caste, communalism and creed to make India number one, and said that this would be a real tribute to Bhagat Singh.

“Today is not a normal function but a celebration of the birthday of the greatest legend in the world. At the age when youth demands gifts from their parents, Shaheed Bhagat Singh sought freedom for his motherland from the British people. He was a well-read leader who was always worried about the welfare of people. And this day has special significance in his life,” the chief minister said.

Mann bemoaned that it was unfortunate that some people were raising questions about the sacrifice of the martyrs. He said that no one had any right to pose a question mark over the martyrs’ contribution to their motherland.

He said that Bhagat Singh was not only an individual but an institution, adding that for the country to progress, people must follow in the freedom fighter’s footsteps.

The chief minister also announced that a memorial, library and other facilities would be constructed at Bhagat Singh’s maternal home near Garhshankar. He said the museum at his native village was also being upgraded.

Mann also said the state government had given more than 36,000 jobs in a transparent manner. For the first time, Punjab has received a cash credit limit of Rs 37,000 crore for the ensuing paddy season, he said, adding that the state had demanded Rs 42,000 crore from the central government for paddy procurement.

Allegations against Parkash Badal and Amarinder Singh

Mann said he had raised the Satluj Yamuna Link canal, Chandigarh and other issues during the recent meeting of the Northern Zonal Council. He alleged that leaders of Punjab had earlier backstabbed the people by prioritising their own interests over those of the state.

Mann said former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal got a plot in Gurgaon, where his family has hotel today, for planning the SYL canal. Further, the AAP leader said that former chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh, whom he called the “self-proclaimed saviour of Punjab waters” had presented a silver spade to the then prime minister for the ground-breaking ceremony of the canal at Kapoori.