Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa on Saturday accused Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann of seeking publicity at the time of a crisis in the state. "What could be more disgraceful than taking benefit of any sort at the time when people are experiencing the most difficult time of their lives?" he asked.
Referring to Mann's visit to the state's flood-affected areas, the Congress leader said instead of meeting the people to console them and extend a helping hand, the chief minister is busy with photoshoots for social media.
"If he has no intention to seek publicity out of this, then why does he carry an entire camera crew with him all the time? Doesn't he understand it creates an inconvenience for the people who have already been going through the toughest times of their lives?" Bajwa said in a statement.
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He also slammed the chief minister for allegedly ignoring the Met office's warnings and preparing for the floods in advance. "Then, he even failed to get the pre-arrangements done well in time to prevent the floods. Even his own party's Rajya Sabha MP Balbir Singh Seechewal pointed out that the Sutlej river near Shahkot was not cleaned, which caused a breach," said the Congress leader.
Bajwa, the Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly, also accused the chief minister of "shedding crocodile tears". He also cautioned that flood-hit areas are prone to waterborne diseases such as cholera, typhoid, dengue and hepatitis.
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"I caution Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh to take serious note of the same and start organising medical camps. The AAP government must get prepared in advance to deal with situations that are looming large. The government must get prepared to alleviate the woes of the flood victims," he added. Several areas of Punjab and Haryana are facing floods due to a three-day heavy downpour in the two states earlier this week.
