Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has dismissed Union Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu’s invitation for a public debate on flood relief and the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF).
Mann, in a sharp rebuttal, questioned Bittu’s effectiveness as a minister, citing a previous demand for a railway overbridge in Dhuri that Bittu allegedly failed to deliver. “I told him to get a railway overbridge at Dhuri; he said he cannot do it. I then asked him what kind of minister he is. He can get a cold drink vending machine at the railway stations. They give such ministries to these people. They do not listen to these people,” Mann remarked.
The war of words began after Bittu challenged Mann to a debate when the Chief Minister denied claims made by the Prime Minister’s Office that Punjab had received ₹12,000 crore in disaster relief. Bittu accused the AAP government of mishandling compensation distribution during the 2023 floods and accepted Mann’s initial counter-challenge.
The exchange has intensified political tensions in Punjab, with both leaders using the flood relief issue to target each other ahead of crucial elections.
