Political Showdown: Hardeep Puri Criticizes AAP's Non-Existent Department in Punjab

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri criticizes Punjab Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal for leading a non-existent department under AAP's governance, following a notification revealing the absence of the Department of Administrative Reforms. Criticism highlights the state government's inefficiencies, while Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann defends reformation efforts.

In a sharp exchange of words, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri minced no words in lambasting Punjab Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, accusing him of heading a 'non-existent' department for nearly two years under the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government. His remarks came after it emerged that Dhaliwal's Department of Administrative Reforms does not exist as per the Punjab government's Gazette notification.

Echoing the strong criticism, BJP leader Fatehjung Singh Bajwa lamented that the Mann-led government has set Punjab back by decades. Dhaliwal, a senior Cabinet leader, never convened meetings for his nominal department. Bajwa also criticized the rampant issues of illegal immigration, which he claimed have been inadequately addressed by the current regime.

Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has defended the government's actions, stating that they have renamed and restructured the department to usher in genuine reforms across bureaucratic and other sectors. He noted plans to merge overlapping departments for efficiency. On his part, Minister Dhaliwal downplayed the controversy, insisting that saving Punjab matters more than the existence of a department.