By Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Saturday stepped up his attack on the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab, promising that a BJP government would take a tougher approach to corruption, recruitment irregularities and the drug trade. Addressing a gathering in Patiala district, Saini said his party would seek to replicate Haryana’s recruitment model in Punjab, with government jobs being filled without “parchi” or “kharchi”.
Saini also linked Punjab’s drug problem and employment crisis to what he described as deteriorating law and order and the movement of industries out of the state. While he did not comment on speculation over a possible BJP-SAD alliance, he said the BJP was confident of forming the next government in Punjab.
Saini targets drug trade in Punjab
Speaking at a Teej festival programme in Ghanaur, Saini said people in Punjab were increasingly looking towards the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s policies ahead of the next Assembly elections.
He said the BJP would adopt a firm approach towards the drug trade if it comes to power.
Saini claimed that those involved in selling drugs would either have to abandon the business or leave the state once a BJP government is formed.
The Haryana Chief Minister also highlighted the BJP’s approach to government recruitment in Haryana, saying a similar system would be introduced in Punjab. He said young people would be given jobs on merit and without the influence of middlemen or bribery.
Recruitment corruption also under attack
Saini alleged that corruption and political influence had affected recruitment processes in Punjab. Referring to the recruitment of excise inspectors, he questioned the transparency of the process.
He also referred to the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s intervention in recruitment in the Health Department, alleging that recommendations from influential people had affected opportunities available to young candidates from ordinary families.
Saini said eliminating such practices would be a priority for a BJP government and promised to dismantle what he described as a network of corruption in recruitment.
Attack on AAP’s women’s welfare promise
The Haryana Chief Minister also criticised the AAP government over its promise of providing a monthly financial assistance of Rs 1,000 to women.
Taking a swipe at the delay in implementing the promise, Saini questioned why women were still waiting for the benefit several years after the commitment was made.
He said the issue reflected what he described as the gap between the promises made by the AAP and their implementation on the ground.
Law and order, jobs linked to drug crisis
Saini further argued that Punjab’s employment problems could not be separated from the state’s law-and-order situation. According to him, the movement of industrial units out of Punjab had reduced employment opportunities and added to the uncertainty facing young people.
He alleged that the lack of adequate job opportunities was contributing to the vulnerability of youth to drug addiction.
The BJP’s pitch in Punjab is therefore increasingly centred on employment, law and order and action against the drug trade, with Saini presenting Haryana’s governance and recruitment model as an example of what his party could offer the state.
