SAS NAGAR, 15 March 2026:
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Sunday stated that the country is facing an oil and LPG crisis due to the failure of the foreign policy of the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre. He also raised serious concerns over the excessive centralisation of power in the hands of a few leaders at the Union government, warning that such a trend is dangerous for democracy.
CM Bhagwant Singh Mann further questioned Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the unchecked cross-border drug supply, asked the Union Home Minister to explain the failure of central agencies, and cautioned that the Centre’s treaty with the United States could severely jeopardise the interests of farmers. He also remarked that despite frequent foreign tours by the Prime Minister, the country is facing worsening diplomatic ties and growing economic distress.
Speaking to media persons on the sidelines of the Progressive Punjab Investors Summit,CM Bhagwant Singh Mann stated, “Due to the failure of the foreign policy of the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre, the country is facing the oil and LPG crisis.”
He remarked that United States President Donald Trump, whom Prime Minister Narendra Modi describes as a close friend, should have consulted him before waging a full-fledged war against Iran. “However, the Union government remained unfazed about the scenario emerging out of this war, due to which the people of the country are today facing this crisis,” he added.
CM Bhagwant Singh Mann noted that the present circumstances reflect a serious lapse in the country’s foreign policy framework. “This is a clear failure of the foreign policy of the country, and it seems that there is no such policy at the current point of time,” he said.
Highlighting the Prime Minister’s frequent overseas visits, the Chief Minister said that such travel has distanced the leadership from the realities faced by people in the country. “The Prime Minister is mostly on foreign tours, due to which he is not aware of the problems faced by the countrymen,” he stated, adding that the situation currently prevailing in the country has never been witnessed before. “In a month the Prime Minister spends 15 days on foreign shores, but his relations with other countries are far away from being cordial,” CM Bhagwant Singh Mann added.
The Chief Minister said, “The country should have foreseen the LPG and oil crisis and adequate arrangements should have been done well in time to avoid any inconvenience to the general public,” he stated.
Addressing concerns about supply shortages, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann clarified, stating: “Rumours are being spread about the shortage of LPG cylinders due to the war in the Gulf, but directions have been issued to the Deputy Commissioners across Punjab to ensure that there is no shortage of essential goods,” he said.
He added that strict action would be taken against anyone attempting to exploit the situation. “If any person tries to mislead people by hoarding essential goods, then severest of severe exemplary action will be taken against them,” the Chief Minister affirmed.
He also noted that the matter had been taken up with the Union government. “I have also raised this issue with the Union government to ease the situation so that common people do not face any problem,” CM Bhagwant Singh Mann added.
Commenting on the functioning of the Union government, the Chief Minister said that excessive centralisation of authority is harmful for democratic governance. “Excessive centralisation of powers in the hands of two or three is a dangerous trend which needs to be avoided,” he stated.
CM Bhagwant Singh Mann further remarked that decision-making in the Union Cabinet has become concentrated in a few hands. “Barring two ‘big’figures, there is no Minister in the entire Union Cabinet, and even small decisions are taken by the duo which is running the country in a dictatorial manner,” he said. “This sorry state of affairs has pushed the countrymen into a quagmire of problems,” he added.
Taking strong exception to the remarks made by the Union Home Minister during his visit to Punjab on Saturday, the Chief Minister said that the statements were misleading. “It is surprising that during his visit to Punjab on Saturday, Amit Shah spoke a bundle of lies to mislead the people and defame Punjab on the drug issue,” he said. CM Bhagwant Singh Mann challenged the Union Home Minister to explain the failures of the central agencies under his control. “He must explain why the BSF and other central agencies under him have failed to check the supply of drugs from across the border,” he stated.
The Chief Minister also pointed to major drug seizures elsewhere in the country. “More than 3000 kg of drugs have been recovered from Mundra port in the native state of the Union Home Minister, but he maintains stoic silence over it,” CM Bhagwant Singh Mann added.
He further stated that the remarks made by the Union Home Minister were intended to divert attention from the Centre’s inaction. “The baseless statements made on Saturday were a cover-up exercise to hide his failures, as the Centre has done nothing concrete to check the drug menace across the country,” he said.
CM Bhagwant Singh Mann also addressed the issue of farmers, stating that the Centre’s policies are adversely affecting their interests. “The Union Home Minister shed crocodile tears over the farmers’ issue, whereas in reality the Centre government is jeopardizing the interests of farmers by signing the treaty with the United States,” he said. He cautioned that the agreement could have serious implications. “This treaty is more dangerous to farmers and their interests, and the food growers will have to face serious repercussions due to it,” the Chief Minister added.
Meanwhile, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said that the Punjab Government is actively engaging with leading film production houses to develop a major film infrastructure project in the state. “The Punjab Government is holding parleys with T-Series, Netflix, Yash Raj Films and others for setting up a state-of-the-art film city in Punjab,” he stated. Emphasising the cultural influence of Punjabis in the film industry, he noted, “Bollywood has always been dominated by Punjabis, and a Punjabi song in a Hindi movie is considered a guarantee for its success.”
The Chief Minister added that the Punjab Government is committed to promoting the film industry in the state. “The Punjab Government will make every effort to give a major push to post-production and shooting of Hindi movies in Punjab, and concerted efforts are already being made in this direction,” CM Bhagwant Singh Mann concluded.
