AAP-Led Punjab Government Withdraws Support For Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra Across State After Republic Day Tableau Row

A significant clash is looming between the AAP-led Punjab government and the BJP-led Union government, as the former has withdrawn support for the 40-day-long Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra across the state as reported by The New Indian Express.

This move comes after Punjab's tableau was not selected for the Republic Day parade.

The state government has now announced that the tableau will be taken to every village in the state after 26 January.

A letter dated 8 January, issued to all civil servants in the state, states that the nationwide awareness campaign is withdrawn with immediate effect. The yatra guidelines issued earlier have also been withdrawn.

According to the report, the yatra has already covered 8,706 gram panchayats out of the total 13,259 in the state, with 14.98 lakh participants over the past 40 days.

Following the withdrawal of support, central government agencies and institutions, including FCI, AIIMS, PGI, ECH, and banks, will now manage and coordinate the yatra.

Punjab BJP President Sunil Jakhar has criticised the Punjab government for taking a petty step to cover up its failures in the health system.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced that the rejected Republic Day tableau depicting the contributions of freedom fighters would be paraded across the state after 26 January.

The state government aims to convey a message that the BJP-led Union government does not acknowledge the sacrifices and contributions of Punjab's martyrs in the freedom struggle and subsequent wars.