Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon on Saturday accused the AAP government of pushing the state deeper into debt. He claimed Punjab's borrowings have increased sharply and raised concerns over the state's financial health.
Speaking to reporters, Dhillon said the state's debt increased by Rs 5,300 crore between April and May this year. He added that the government has now decided to borrow another Rs 1,500 crore.
He said Punjab would raise a total of Rs 7,800 crore between April and June, taking the state's overall debt close to Rs 4.50 lakh crore.
Dhillon alleged that continuous borrowing without proper financial planning poses a serious risk to Punjab's future. He claimed that Punjab's total debt stood at Rs 2.82 lakh crore between 1966 and 2022, but had risen to nearly Rs 4.50 lakh crore during the last four and a half years.
During the event, Dhillon welcomed AAP leader Jit Lal Bhatti into the BJP. He said public support for the BJP is steadily increasing and claimed that people in Punjab now see the party as a credible alternative.
Bhatti had contested the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections from the Adampur constituency but was unsuccessful.
Commenting on the proposed law related to the Takht Sri Hazur Sahib Board in Maharashtra, Dhillon said the state government has decided to form a committee to hold wider consultations with religious organisations, Sikh scholars and other stakeholders before moving ahead. He said he had spoken to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis after concerns were raised by the Sikh community. According to Dhillon, the Maharashtra government has assured that Sikh sentiments will be respected and that the proposed law will be reviewed again by the committee.
Several Punjab leaders, including former Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal and Congress MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, have also opposed the proposed law on the Takht Sri Hazur Sahib Board.
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