Vikram Ditya Sharma/Ferozepur
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann today launched a sharp attack on opposition parties while addressing gatherings at Zira and Talwandi Bhai during the second day of his four-day “Shukrana Yatra”. Hailing the recently passed anti-sacrilege law, Mann said the earlier laws were weak and accused persons often escaped punishment after being declared mentally unstable.
While addressing the huge congregation, Mann said the new law would act as a strong deterrent against sacrilege incidents in Punjab. “Now anyone thinking of committing sacrilege will know that the offence can lead to ten years imprisonment along with a fine of Rs. 50,000, and the accused will remain in jail for life,” he said.
Mann alleged that influential political families who ruled Punjab earlier had failed to stop sacrilege incidents due to their “dishonest intentions”. Taking a swipe at SAD President Sukhbir Singh Badal, Mann said Sukhbir was now waiting for his turn to go to jail along with Bikram Majithia.
Highlighting the achievements of the AAP government, Mann said over 65,000 government jobs had been provided during the last four years, while farmers were receiving daytime power supply and canal water directly in fields. He also claimed that 19 toll plazas had been shut in Punjab and nearly 90 percent households were getting free electricity.
MLAs Naresh Kataria and Ranbir Singh Bhullar, along with Advocate Rajneesh Dahiya, accompanied the Chief Minister during the visit.
