Phagwara, August 13, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday described Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann as a “modern-day Shravan Kumar” for taking elderly residents of the state on pilgrimages, while Mann said Punjab’s tradition of communal harmony would not allow divisive forces to succeed.
Kejriwal and Mann joined devotees at the ‘Ek Shaam Bhagwan Shiv Ke Naam’ bhajan sandhya in Phagwara, Kapurthala district. Thousands of devotees participated in the event, which echoed with chants of “Har Har Mahadev” and “Bam Bam Bhole”.
Praising Mann’s initiatives for senior citizens, Kejriwal said the Chief Minister was serving elderly people in Punjab as he would serve his own parents. He urged the state’s elderly to continue blessing Mann and said the Chief Minister would continue serving them throughout his life.
Kejriwal said the Bhagwant Mann government had expanded the Mukh Mantri Tirath Yatra Scheme to include pilgrimage routes to Salasar-Shri Khatu Shyam, Haridwar-Rishikesh and Mathura-Vrindavan Dham. He said demand for the pilgrimages was high and announced that 1.5 lakh devotees would be taken to these destinations.
He also highlighted the redevelopment of the Kali Mata Temple in Patiala, saying the project was being undertaken at a cost of ₹80 crore and work was expected to begin around October 10.
Referring to the bhajan sandhyas being organised across Punjab, Kejriwal said similar ‘Ek Shaam Bhagwan Shiv Ke Naam’ programmes were being held in 23 cities. He claimed that no previous party or government in Punjab had done as much for Sanatan Dharma as the AAP government.
Mann, addressing the gathering, thanked devotees for participating in large numbers and said their presence would encourage the state government to serve people with greater dedication.
Emphasising Punjab’s communal harmony, Mann said the state was a “fertile land where every seed can germinate except the seed of hatred”. He said people of different faiths celebrate festivals together and noted that members of all communities were attending an event dedicated to Lord Shiva.
“Punjab is a land of communal harmony and freedom and divisive forces can never succeed here,” he said.
The Chief Minister also highlighted several initiatives of his government. He said 19 toll plazas had been shut down, resulting in estimated savings of around ₹70 lakh a day for commuters.
Mann said more than 69,000 government jobs had been provided transparently, while 90 per cent of households were receiving free electricity. He added that farmers were being provided electricity during the daytime and that around 44,000 kilometres of roads were being constructed.
On agriculture, Mann said canal irrigation had been improved and there was no shortage of canal water for the farming sector.
He also highlighted the Mawan Dheeyan Satkar Yojana, under which women started receiving financial assistance directly into their bank accounts from July 1. According to Mann, women are entitled to ₹1,000 per month under the scheme, while women belonging to Scheduled Castes are entitled to ₹1,500 per month.
He said women already receiving social security pensions would also be eligible and claimed that 97 per cent of women in Punjab were benefiting from the scheme. The state government, he added, had allocated ₹9,300 crore in the budget for the initiative.
Mann reiterated that the state government was committed to public welfare and would leave no stone unturned in that effort.
Lok Sabha MP Dr Raj Kumar Chabbewal and other leaders were also present at the event.
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