Chandigarh, March 12 (NationPress) Punjab Minister Aman Arora criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Central government on Thursday, accusing it of a "comprehensive failure" in handling both foreign and domestic issues.

He highlighted a stark contrast between the government's assertions and the reality experienced by citizens, stating that the dual promises of transforming India into a 'Vishwa Guru' (world leader) and achieving 'Aatmanirbhar' (self-reliance) have now crumbled.

During a condemnation resolution introduced by the State Food and Civil Supplies Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak in the Vidhan Sabha, Arora pointed to the discrepancies he noticed in Thursday's newspapers.

"On one side, reports depicted long queues outside gas agencies, thousands of hotels nearing closure, numerous weddings at risk of cancellation, and our mothers and sisters anxious about managing their kitchens. Adjacent to these grim realities was a full-page advertisement from the Union government, proclaiming 'Your Home Our First Priority'—a clear indication of the dire situation we are in," he remarked. "By issuing that advertisement, they (the Centre) have acknowledged the severity of the crisis, which is worsening by the day."

He reminded the assembly of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pre-2014 campaign speeches, where he passionately spoke of India leading the globe and achieving self-reliance.

"Fourteen years prior, he proclaimed that 140 crore Indians would lead the world and would never depend on imports. Today, we must ask ourselves—what has become of those aspirations? On both counts—becoming a Vishwa Guru or Aatmanirbhar—they have failed spectacularly," he added.

Arora also stated that after more than a decade in power, the BJP-led government still fails to differentiate between allies and adversaries.

"One by one, we have seen each neighboring country drift further away from us, gravitating towards China. This is the legacy of their foreign policy," he asserted.

He questioned the Prime Minister's recent trip to Israel, stating, "He visits there, embraces Netanyahu, and the very next day, the US and Israel strike at Iran's top political and administrative leaders."

Arora reminded the assembly of the tragic school attack in Iran that resulted in the deaths of hundreds of children, noting the absence of any condemnation from the Centre regarding the innocent lives lost.

Using data from the Central government, Arora presented a statistical critique of the past 12 years of governance.

"In terms of natural gas, production has decreased from 40.68 billion cubic meters (BCM) in 2012 to 35 BCM in 2024, while consumption has surged from 47 BCM to 69 BCM during the same period. For crude oil, domestic production fell from 37 million metric tons in 2013-14 to 29 million metric tons in 2023-24, even as consumption rose from 158 million metric tons to 233 million metric tons.

He emphasized that India's reliance on LPG imports has skyrocketed from 45 percent in 2014 to an astonishing 66 percent in 2025.

"This is their vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat. Today, we rely on imports for two-thirds of our cooking gas. Production is declining while consumption is soaring, yet they claim self-reliance. This is not self-reliance; this is a deepening dependency," Arora concluded.

He reassured the people of Punjab that the state government would do everything in its power to safeguard their interests.

"Despite the Centre's control over the oil and LPG sectors, the state government will tirelessly work to ensure that citizens do not face hardships."