"Liability For Every Party He Joins": Bhagwant Mann Attacks Navjot Sidhu

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday took a dig at Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu, calling him a "useless turncoat" who is a "liability" for every party he joins.

Mr Mann made the remark addressing a gathering held here for the handing over of appointment letters to 457 newly recruited youths in various government departments, according to an official release.

He said his government is making concerted efforts for making youth an integral part in the socio-economic progress of the state.

Taking on rival parties' leaders, Mr Mann said the traditional parties are envious of him because he hails from a common family.

Mr Mann said these leaders who believed that they have divine right to rule cannot digest that a common man is running the state "efficiently." These leaders fooled the people for a long time but now the public will not be swayed by their propaganda, he alleged.

Mr Mann said the leaders of opposition parties are not able to digest the fact that the state government is providing free power to 90 per cent households and more than 1 crore people have taken free medicines from 'Aam Aadmi clinics'.

For the first time, a private thermal plant has been purchased by the state government, at a cost of Rs 1,080 crore, he further said.

He said these leaders cannot tolerate the welfare of the common man due to which they are regularly "spitting venom" against him.

Mr Mann called Congress leader Sidhu a "useless turncoat," saying this "political deadwood is a liability" for every party which he joins.

These leaders shift their loyalties every hour due to which people have no faith in them, he alleged.

The CM accused Mr Sidhu of running away from the power department when he was the minister in the previous Congress government.

Mr Sidhu has been targeting the Mann government over various issues including debt.

Mr Mann said the state government is opening eight hi-tech centres for imparting training to students for competitive exams.

These centres will provide quality training to UPSC aspirants.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)