Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann to skip Niti Aayog meeting in solidarity with INDIA Bloc

PTC Web Desk: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Punjab Government has announced that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann will not attend the Niti Aayog meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 27, in a show of solidarity with the INDIA bloc. This decision was made on Wednesday, following the INDIA bloc's allegation on Tuesday that the Union Budget for the fiscal year 2024-25 ignored states not ruled by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). In response, the Congress and the DMK declared their intention to boycott the meeting.

An AAP spokesperson affirmed their support for the INDIA bloc, stating, “When the INDIA bloc decided to boycott the Niti Aayog meeting, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann would also stay away from it. There is no point in taking a different line than the coalition.” 

Three chief ministers from Congress-ruled states — Revanth Reddy of Telangana, Siddaramaiah of Karnataka, and Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu of Himachal Pradesh — along with Tamil Nadu's MK Stalin from the DMK, have also opted out of the meeting. The state government was initially preparing Bhagwant Mann’s speech for the Niti Aayog meeting, planning to address key issues, including the pending Rs 10,000 crore from the Centre. This amount includes Rs 6,767 crore towards the Rural Development Fund (RDF) and the Mandi Development Fund (MDF).

However, ambiguity persisted until Wednesday evening about whether the AAP, as a part of the INDIA bloc, would participate in the meeting. AAP governs both Delhi and Punjab. 

Notably, Sanjay Singh, AAP Rajya Sabha leader, attended the INDIA bloc meeting on Tuesday evening, where the decision to boycott was made. 

- With inputs from agencies

Join Whatsapp Channel