Day after BJP’s Punjab campaign launch, Mann and Warring target Saini

Chandigarh: A day after Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini joined Punjab BJP chief Kewal Singh Dhillon in Dhuri to launch the party's campaign for the 2027 Punjab assembly elections, Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann and Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring attacked him over the rally and Haryana's long-pending disputes with Punjab.Speaking to reporters on Monday, Mann described Saini's visit to his home constituency of Dhuri as a "flop show" and claimed the BJP would fail to gain traction in Punjab. "The Haryana CM had come to Dhuri. You know how many people were sitting in front of him (in the gathering). It was his flop show in Dhuri yesterday. People of Punjab, especially farmers, have seen the real face of the BJP's hatred," Mann said.Asked about the INDIA bloc, Mann again confirmed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was no longer part of the alliance.During Sunday's rally, Saini had launched a sharp attack on Mann, taking a swipe at his background as a comedian and remarking that "jokes can run cinema halls, but they cannot run govts".Joining the attack on Monday, Warring questioned Saini's frequent visits to Punjab for BJP programmes and asked him to clarify his stand on contentious issues between Punjab and Haryana, including the SYL canal, Chandigarh and Punjabi-speaking areas of Haryana. "The way Saini travels and campaigns for the BJP in Punjab, it is like running with the hare and hunting with the hounds," Warring said, arguing that the Haryana chief minister could not simultaneously champion the interests of both states.Taking a dig at the turnout at the Dhuri rally, Warring claimed Saini had addressed empty chairs. "Saini's plight is like that of a frequent guest who soon becomes unwanted and is always unwelcome," he said.Referring to unresolved issues between the two states, Warring said, "Every right-thinking person would like to know Saini's position.""Will you give up your unjustified claims for extra water from Punjab and facilitate the transfer of Chandigarh to Punjab, which has been denied for long?" he asked.Warring also sought clarification from Punjab BJP leaders on their stand on the state's disputes with Haryana. "Do you stand with the Haryana CM or Punjab?" he asked.