Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Tuesday slammed the Prime Minister Narendra Modi led BJP government for meting out step motherly treatment to the state thereby trying to jeopardise development and progress of Punjab.

Taking part in discussions on the floor of Punjab Vidhan Sabha, the Chief Minister, while Citing the stalling of funds of RDF, said that it reflects the discriminatory attitude of the Union government against Punjab and Punjabis. He said that the centre government leaves no stone unturned to defame Punjab and recent landing of US planes carrying deportees in Amritsar despite the fact that most of them were from other states is an example of it. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that he had vehemently opposed it and sole motive was to tarnish the image of state the plane carrying deportees is being landed here without any rationale.

The Chief Minister said that if the plane carrying former Prime Minister of Bangladesh Shiekh Haseena can be landed at Hindon airport then why can’t this plane be taken to any other part of the country. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that illegal immigration is not only the problem of Punjab but it is a national problem whereas projection is being made that Punjab is severely affected by this so only Punjabis were being deported from the United States. He said that such an attitude towards the state is intolerable, unwarranted and undesirable as we cannot compromise with the dignity and pride of the state.

Assailing the Congress leaders especially the Leader of opposition Partap Singh Bajwa for making baseless statements, the Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Tuesday said that instead of day dreaming to get support of MLAs of ruling AAP the Congress should focus on keeping its flock together.

Tearing the opposition while speaking on floor of Punjab Vidhan Sabha, the Chief Minister slammed its leaders for making castles in air that few MLAs of the ruling party are in their contact and will switch soon. He said that these power mad politicians neither have contact with their own cadres nor with masses due to which they were ousted by the people of the state. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that these leaders unabatedly issue such irrational statements but have never raised the issue of the Punjab before the Union government adding that the rhetoric that AAP MLAs are in touch with them is Bajwa’s gimmick to hog media limelight.

Reiterating the Delhi government’s resolve to fulfill commitments made to the public, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Friday said that she has started seeking status reports from all departments and preparing layout plans for welfare schemes.

“You will get to know about the outcomes soon,” she told mediapersons as she stepped out of her office at the Delhi Secretariat.

Earlier in the day, she met President Droupadi Murmu and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar.

The BJP has prepared its 'Sankalp Patra' (Resolution Letter) for the civic elections and will release it on February 24.

Haryana BJP chief Pandit Mohan Lal Badoli said that the resolution letter will be released by Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini from Rohtak's BJP office.

On Thursday, in the presence of state president Pandit Mohan Lal Badoli, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, and conveners of the resolution letter committee Vipul Goyal Vijaypal Advocate and other BJP leaders brainstormed for hours to prepare the resolution letter at the BJP's office in Gurugram.

In the meeting, issues of the city and wards were discussed in detail and it was decided to prepare it in the next one or two days.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta was on Thursday assured of cooperation in governance by leaders of the two Opposition parties AAP and the Congress, who also sought early release of monthly financial assistance of Rs 2,500 for the city's women.

Former Delhi Chief Minister and AAP legislator from the Kalkaji seat, Atishi congratulated CM Gupta and her Cabinet ministers for taking oath of office on Thursday.

Atishi also said, “I demand that the BJP government’s Cabinet pass the scheme to give the promised monthly amount (Rs 2,500) to all women of Delhi."

Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday hit out at the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh for presenting a “directionless” Budget bereft of a road map for the development of the state and a document silent on fulfilling the ruling BJP’s manifesto promises.

The SP chief accused the “double engine" governments of the BJP in UP and at the Centre of committing a “double blunder” and leaving sugarcane growers frustrated despite their long wait for a hike in the procurement price.

Accusing UP's Budget 2025-26 of lacking “clarity”, Akhilesh Yadav said, “It’s a hollow Budget which is high on noise and gimmickry… but they call it the biggest Budget each time they present the figures.”

“The Budget bag is empty, offering nothing for the public who don’t even know that it has been presented,” he said, addressing media persons.

A meeting of Chief Ministers of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA)-ruled states got underway in the national Capital on Thursday, hours after the grand swearing-in of new Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and her Cabinet ministers at the city’s iconic Ramlila Ground.

The meeting was attended by the CMs of BJP-ruled states and those ruled by key constituents of the NDA alliance -- TDP and JD(U).

TDP President and Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu attended the meeting, however Bihar CM Nitish Kumar was conspicuous by his absence.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab President and Cabinet Minister Aman Arora, along with his family, took a holy dip at the ongoing Mahakumbh in Prayagraj on Wednesday and performed prayers to Ganga.

Aman Arora was accompanied by Punjab Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan and Sangrur MP Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer, who also took a dip at the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati rivers.

Speaking to the media after the holy bath, Aman Arora said, “I felt immense joy after taking a dip at Mahakumbh. It is a matter of great fortune for us as such a Mahakumbh will not come again in our lifetime.”

This time’s Mahakumbh is a rare occurrence, happening after 144 years, as Mahakumbh takes place after 12 Kumbhs, and a Kumbh occurs once every 12 years. Arora said, “I am elated to receive the blessings of Mother Ganga. I prayed to Mother Ganga for the peace, progress, and happiness of the people of the nation and Punjab.”

Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha and Congress MP from Rae Bareli, will be on a two-day visit to his parliamentary constituency from Thursday, party leaders said. During his stay, he will participate in various programmes and hold meetings with party office-bearers and workers.

Gandhi will enter the district by road from Lucknow airport, as per the itinerary released by district Congress president Pankaj Tiwari. At 10:30 a.m., he will interact with workers of the Bachhrawan Assembly constituency at Balaji Marriage Lawn. At 12 noon, he will meet students at Mool Bharatiya Hostel in Civil Lines.

Thereafter, the Congress MP will participate in a women’s dialogue programme at Sahkari Sangh Limited in Uttarpara at 1 p.m. He will also unveil a statue and address a gathering at Ranabeni Madhav Singh Memorial Inter College in Shankarpur, Jagatpur. Subsequently, he will proceed to Bhueamau Guest House where he will be staying.

A delegation of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Wednesday met Harjinder Singh Dhami and appealed to him to continue as the President of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC).

Party leader Daljit Singh Cheema told the media that the delegation met Dhami to understand the circumstances under which he had tendered his resignation as the SGPC President.

"It is clear that Dhami chose to resign due to mental agony. He has taken a few things to heart due to which he resigned all of a sudden. We have, on our part, assured Dhami that the party is with him and that the Panth needs his leadership at this crucial juncture," he said.