Nayab Saini slams Bhagwant Mann over broken AAP promises to Punjab women
Synopsis
Haryana CM Nayab Saini used a Teej festival in Patiala to put Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann on the defensive — pointing to AAP's still-unfulfilled ₹1,000-a-month promise to women after nearly five years in power, while contrasting it with Haryana's ₹2,100 scheme already reaching 10 lakh women. The attack signals the BJP's sharpening Punjab campaign strategy ahead of the next assembly elections.
Key Takeaways
Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini on 22 August accused Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann of failing to honour AAP's pre-election promise of ₹1,000 per month to women.
Saini spoke at a Teej festival in Ghanaur, Patiala district , Punjab.
Haryana's own ₹2,100 monthly scheme for women has disbursed ₹2,000 crore to 10 lakh beneficiaries so far.
Saini cited Punjab's law and order decline, industry migration, and rising drug addiction among youth as governance failures.
He alleged recruitment irregularities in Punjab's Excise and Health departments; the Punjab and Haryana High Court has issued a stay notice on Health Department recruitment.
Saini pledged to extend Haryana's welfare schemes, MSP procurement, and corruption-free hiring to Punjab if the BJP comes to power there.
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Saturday, 22 August launched a sharp attack on Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, accusing him of 'merely passing time by cracking jokes' while the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government's promises to women and youth in Punjab remain unfulfilled nearly five years into its tenure.
The Broken Promise at the Centre of the Attack
Speaking at a Teej festival organised in Ghanaur town of Patiala district, Punjab, Saini pointed to AAP's pre-election pledge of ₹1,000 per month to women — a commitment that has not been honoured even as the next assembly elections draw near. He said Mann's habit of asking women from the stage how many months' money should be deposited in their accounts amounted to nothing more than a public spectacle. 'What else can this be if not a joke?' Saini said.
Haryana's Record as a Contrast
Saini held up his own government's track record as a direct counterpoint. He said the Haryana government had promised women a monthly assistance of ₹2,100 before the elections and fulfilled it immediately after assuming office. A provision of ₹5,000 crore was made in the very first Budget for the scheme, and 10 lakh women are now receiving the monthly amount. So far, ₹2,000 crore has been directly transferred to women's bank accounts under the scheme.
He listed additional welfare measures in Haryana: LPG cylinders at ₹500 for families with annual income up to ₹1.80 lakh; financial assistance of up to ₹20 lakh for women running self-help groups; ₹6,000 for pregnant women for nutritious food; and distribution of plots, houses, and flats to poor families. Women participating in Swadeshi Melas, he said, are earning between ₹4 lakh and ₹45 lakh in just four days.
Punjab's Law and Order and Drug Crisis
Saini also trained his sights on Punjab's deteriorating law and order situation, arguing that industries are migrating out of the state, deepening an employment crisis for youth. He said frustrated and disappointed youngsters are increasingly falling into the trap of drug addiction as a result. The remarks came amid a broader political context in which Punjab's drug menace has remained a persistent flashpoint for criticism against the AAP government.
BJP's Punjab Pitch and Recruitment Irregularities
Saini said all Haryana welfare schemes — including procurement of all crops at the minimum support price (MSP) and the Bhavantar Bharpai Yojana for potatoes and other vegetables and fruits — would be extended to Punjab once a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government is formed in the state. He pledged that jobs in Punjab would be provided to youth without 'parchi and kharchi', eliminating what he described as a network of corruption in recruitment.
Saini also cited recent alleged irregularities in the recruitment of Excise Inspectors in Punjab and noted that the Punjab and Haryana High Court had issued a stay notice in connection with recruitment in the Health Department, where influential people were allegedly recommended for jobs, depriving deserving candidates.
Political Context
The broadside comes as the BJP steps up its campaign in Punjab ahead of the next assembly elections. With AAP facing questions over unmet welfare pledges and law and order, the ruling party in Haryana appears to be positioning its own governance record as a template for Punjab. How Mann's government responds to the renewed pressure on its women's cash-transfer promise could shape the political narrative in the months ahead.
Point of View
000-a-month promise is a genuinely vulnerable flank for Mann: nearly five years in, the optics of asking women from a stage how many months' arrears to deposit is difficult to defend. What the attack sidesteps, however, is that Haryana's own welfare outlays are partly financed by a fiscal position that Punjab — burdened by far heavier legacy debt — cannot easily replicate. The BJP will need more than a welfare comparison to address Punjab's structural economic and drug crisis, which have roots predating AAP's tenure.
NationPress
22 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Haryana CM Nayab Saini say about Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann?
Saini said Mann is 'merely passing time by cracking jokes' and accused him of failing to fulfil AAP's pre-election promise of ₹1,000 per month to women in Punjab even after nearly five years in power. He made the remarks at a Teej festival in Ghanaur, Patiala, on 22 August.
What was AAP's promise to women in Punjab and has it been kept?
The Aam Aadmi Party had promised to provide ₹1,000 every month to women in Punjab before the last assembly elections. According to Saini, the promise remains unfulfilled even as the next elections approach, with Mann still publicly asking women from the stage how many months' money should be credited.
What welfare schemes has the Haryana government delivered for women?
The Haryana government provides ₹2,100 per month to women under a scheme backed by a ₹5,000 crore Budget provision, with ₹2,000 crore already transferred to 10 lakh beneficiaries. Additional measures include LPG cylinders at ₹500, up to ₹20 lakh for self-help groups, and ₹6,000 for pregnant women.
What recruitment irregularities in Punjab did Saini highlight?
Saini cited alleged irregularities in the recruitment of Excise Inspectors in Punjab and noted that the Punjab and Haryana High Court had issued a stay notice on Health Department recruitment, where influential people were allegedly recommended for posts over deserving candidates.
Why is Saini campaigning in Punjab if he is Haryana's Chief Minister?
Saini's visit to Punjab is part of the BJP's pre-election outreach ahead of the next Punjab assembly elections. The party is positioning Haryana's governance record — on women's welfare, MSP procurement, and recruitment transparency — as a model it would replicate if voted to power in Punjab.
