Punjab’s cabinet ministers launched a fierce attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi after he announced a ₹1,600-crore relief package for the state’s flood victims during his visit to Gurdaspur. The Aam Aadmi Party government, along with several ministers including Gurmeet Singh Khudian, Hardeep Singh Mundian, Harbhajan Singh, Barinder Kumar Goyal, Lal Chand Kataruchak, Laljit Singh Bhullar, and Aman Arora, called the aid “insultingly inadequate” compared to the state’s demand for over ₹20,000 crore in compensation and the release of ₹60,000 crore in pending central funds.
The ministers stressed that Punjab has suffered unprecedented losses: villages submerged, crops wiped out, industries crippled, and thousands of families left homeless. They argued that the Centre’s token gesture was “a drop in the ocean” when the very backbone of Punjab’s agrarian economy had collapsed. According to them, the demand for a ₹20,000-crore special package was based on ground assessments, not exaggeration.
What added fuel to the anger was an exchange between Modi and Disaster Management Minister Hardeep Singh Mundian. When Mundian said the package was too little, the Prime Minister responded with a laugh — “Don’t you understand Hindi? I’ve already declared ₹1,600 crores.” Mundian shot back, saying he understood Hindi perfectly well but that the amount was far from adequate. Many leaders, including BJP’s Ravneet Bittu, admitted that the remark was deeply offensive and felt like an insult to Punjab and the Punjabi language itself.
Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema remarked that waiting an entire month after the floods to announce a mere ₹1,600 crores was like “throwing a bucket of water on a raging fire.” Water Resources Minister Barinder Goyal labeled the package a cruel joke, while Aman Arora accused Modi of turning the crisis into a political photo opportunity rather than showing real empathy.
They reminded the Centre that Punjab has always stood at the nation’s frontlines — from the freedom struggle to serving as India’s food bowl and protecting its borders. In return, they said, Punjabis deserve genuine support in their hour of distress, not symbolic announcements.
While slamming the Centre, the AAP government reiterated its commitment to stand by every affected family. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s administration pledged to provide relief, restore the morale of farmers, and protect the dignity of the Punjabi people, even if the central government continues to neglect them.
