The Punjab unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) held protests across the state on Saturday in response to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s critical comments about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s foreign visits.
BJP workers and leaders raised slogans against the CM and burned his effigies. Senior BJP leader Tarun Chugh condemned Mann’s remarks, calling them “vile and disgraceful.”
Chugh accused Mann of being “intoxicated by power and arrogance,” claiming that the CM has lost sense of propriety. “He’s attacking a three-time elected Prime Minister with an impeccable public record spanning 25 years — a leader whose global vision is widely acknowledged. Yet Mann chooses to mock him,” Chugh stated.
He further criticized Mann for dragging Union Home Minister Amit Shah into the matter, calling it a sign of desperation. “Amit Shah is the man who dismantled terror networks, broke the back of Naxalism, and strengthened the nation’s internal security. Under his leadership, the BJP has become the largest political party in the world,” Chugh added.
BJP leader Anil Sarin also lashed out at Mann, accusing him of disregarding the dignity and decorum expected of constitutional positions. “The language used by the CM against the Prime Minister, both inside and outside the House, is unacceptable,” Sarin said.
The controversy began on Thursday when CM Mann mocked Modi for celebrating a foreign award from a country with just 10,000 people while ignoring pressing domestic issues. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) responded by calling Mann’s remarks “irresponsible.”
Despite the MEA’s rebuke, Mann reiterated his stance in the state assembly on Friday, questioning whether he had no right to raise concerns about the Prime Minister’s foreign policy.
Mann had earlier remarked, “Has the Prime Minister gone to Ghana? Will he return today? He’s being felicitated in countries with populations of 10,000, while 140 crore Indians await his attention.”
He also criticized Modi’s perceived lack of engagement with domestic issues during a debate on the CISF deployment at the Bhakra-Nangal project. “Our PM has time to visit countries like ‘Magneshia, Tarveshia, Garveshia’—I don’t even know where these are—but not to address the concerns of 140 crore Indians,” Mann said sarcastically.
Later, while speaking to the media, Mann maintained his stance. “Don’t I have a right to question foreign policy? What has been achieved on these visits? What benefits have they brought us?” he asked.
He also took a jab at Union Home Minister Amit Shah during his remarks.
