Three ministers from Punjab are facing criticism after a video surfaced showing them discussing cruise trips and beach vacations while surveying flood-affected areas in the state. The video, which was streamed live on Facebook by minister Laljit Singh Bhullar, captured Bhullar, Harbhajan Singh, and Barinder Kumar Goyal reminiscing about a cruise in Sweden and a holiday in Goa as they sat in a boat wearing life jackets during their inspection in Tarn Taran district.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government is now under fire from the opposition Congress party, who have accused the ministers of being insensitive at a time when thousands of people are suffering from the devastating floods. Pratap Singh Bajwa, the Leader of the Opposition in Punjab, condemned the ministers' behavior on X, stating that while flood-hit families are begging for drinking water, AAP ministers are recalling "golden memories" of luxury cruises.
The video quickly went viral, garnering nearly 90,000 views and a barrage of angry comments. The ministers' remarks have been deemed inappropriate and ill-timed, considering the severity of the flood situation in Punjab. The state is currently grappling with its worst floods since 1988, with overflowing rivers inundating vast stretches of farmland and villages. The most affected areas include Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Fazilka, Kapurthala, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, Hoshiarpur, and Amritsar.
The Congress party has further criticized the AAP government, alleging that the floods are a "man-made disaster" due to the government's failure to release water from dams in a timely manner. Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring stated that the government's lack of preventive measures has resulted in widespread submergence and significant losses to crops and property.
Amid the political fallout, many villages in Punjab remain severely affected by the floods. In some areas, villages have been cut off for nearly a month after a crucial link road was washed away by a swollen rivulet. Residents are struggling to access essential services, with emergency vehicles sometimes getting stuck in silt and debris. Villagers have expressed frustration over the lack of government action to repair damaged infrastructure, such as bridges, which has exacerbated their isolation.
In response to the crisis, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has directed district administrations to intensify relief and rescue operations. The state government faces mounting pressure to provide adequate assistance to those affected by the floods and to address the underlying issues that contributed to the disaster. The controversy surrounding the ministers' remarks has further fueled public anger and scrutiny of the government's handling of the situation.
