Govt committed to restoring dignity of Dalits, says CM

Chief minister Bhagwant Mann said the loan waiver worth ₹67.84 crore to Scheduled Caste (SC) and 'divyangjan' (persons with disabilities) borrowers under the Punjab Scheduled Castes Land Development and Finance Corporation (PSCFC) has benefited 4,800 families.

- HT Correspondent

AMRITSAR: Chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Sunday accused Akali leaders of reducing the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) to a "Shiromani Golak Parbandhak Committee," driven by greed for money.

Speaking at a public gathering, Mann alleged that the Badal family misused their political power to interfere in religious affairs, including manipulating the appointment of jathedars of the Akal Takht to serve their personal interests.

"Driven by financial motives, the Akalis have degraded the sanctity of the SGPC and misused both it and the Akal Takht for narrow political gains," he said.

Mann further accused the Akalis of twisting the directives of the Akal Takht to deceive the public and advance their own agenda. "The Akalis looted not only the state exchequer but also funds belonging to religious institutions. Their tenure was marked by political and religious exploitation, causing significant harm to Punjab," he added.

Mann claimed the Akali leadership neglected the poor while enabling the powerful to loot the state with impunity, exploiting the weaker sections of society.