Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday slammed the BJP government at the Centre, accusing it of relying on "divisive tactics" to seek votes and neglecting its duty of serving the people.

At a public rally to canvass for AAP's Hoshiarpur Lok Sabha seat candidate Raj Kumar Chabbewal, the chief minister said despite being in power at the Centre for the past 10 years, the BJP was seeking votes based on religion and caste as they could not give an account of the work done.

The BJP has "failed" to deliver meaningful progress and development for the nation. Rather than addressing the pressing needs of the populace, the BJP has resorted to exploiting religious and caste identities to garner electoral support, Mann alleged.

This strategy is detrimental to the social fabric as it was exacerbating divisions and hindering genuine progress, he said.

Mann accused the BJP dispensation of cronyism, claiming that it has sold off valuable government institutions to its "favoured associates", enriching a select few at the expense of public interest. This is a "betrayal of the trust" placed on elected representatives, he said.

Accusing the Central government of ignoring Punjab's interests, Mann said the Union government withheld Rs 5,500 crore of the rural development fund. The Punjab chief minister claimed that he was fighting alone to secure these funds for the state's development.

He asserted that his government's industry-friendly policies have attracted around Rs 70,000 crore in investments from industrialists. This would boost the state's economy and provide jobs to the unemployed youths, the Punjab chief minister said.

Referring to the arrest of his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal in a money laundering case linked to the liquor policy scam case, Mann said the BJP can imprison the AAP supremo, but cannot suppress his ideas.

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