Chandigarh (Balwinder Singh): Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Saturday asserted his humble origins during a press conference in Chandigarh, stating that he is not a ruler but the son of a farmer who has personally engaged in agricultural labour. Responding to queries regarding the ongoing procurement season and opposition criticism, Saini emphasized that his firsthand experience with farming allows him to understand and resolve the genuine problems faced by the peasantry. He dismissed the frequent visits of Congress leaders to grain markets as a politically motivated attempt to mislead the public, claiming that the opposition is merely running a “shop of lies” while the double-engine government has been driving rapid development since 2014.
The Chief Minister also predicted a landslide victory for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in West Bengal under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Saini credited the Prime Minister’s pro-poor and public welfare schemes for lifting millions out of poverty across the country. Taking a sharp swipe at the Congress party’s past rhetoric regarding digital portals, the CM remarked that while the opposition talked about shutting down government portals, the public has effectively “shut down the portal” of the Congress party itself through their votes.
Turning his attention to the neighbouring state of Punjab, Saini launched a scathing attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, accusing it of failing to deliver on its promises of debt waivers, employment, and a drug-free state. He alleged that drug addiction has increased in Punjab and claimed that “people’s stomachs cannot be filled with jokes; it requires genuine welfare work.” Saini promised that as soon as a BJP government is formed in Punjab, the successful schemes and administrative systems of Haryana—such as the Ayushman-Chirayu health scheme—would be implemented there immediately. He further mocked AAP’s “Mohalla Clinics,” labelling them as “Halla Clinics” from which the people of Punjab are eager to escape.
Regarding state administration, the Chief Minister highlighted that the Cabinet has approved the promotion of 18,000 Group-D employees, for which a one-day special assembly session has been convened. Addressing security concerns, Saini assured that the law and order situation is being strictly monitored, with a particular focus on a zero-tolerance policy toward drug trafficking. He pointed to initiatives like the marathon organized on Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s birth anniversary in Panchkula as part of a broader awareness campaign to keep the youth away from addiction.
