Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab President and Cabinet Minister Aman Arora on Friday strongly condemned the BJP-led Central Government over the continuous rise in fuel prices and inflation, stating that the BJP-led government has pushed common people, farmers and small businesses into financial distress while favouring a handful of corporate houses.

Addressing a press conference, AAP Punjab State President Aman Arora said the entire country is witnessing the suffering caused by rising inflation despite the tall promises made by PM Modi before coming to power 12 years ago. “The BJP Government has once again burdened common people, farmers and small businesses with rising fuel prices and inflation. The entire country is witnessing how people are suffering under inflation despite the tall promises made by PM Modi before coming to power 12 years ago,” he added.

Referring to the latest hike in fuel and LPG prices, Aman Arora said, “Immediately after the West Bengal elections, the Central Government increased the price of commercial LPG cylinders by ₹943, dealing a severe blow to small businesses and traders. Along with this, the Centre increased petrol prices by ₹3.14 per litre, diesel by ₹3.11 per litre and CNG prices by ₹2. This is a shameful gift to the people of the country.”

He asserted that the BJP only remembers public welfare during elections but imposes economic burdens on people after securing votes. “The BJP talks about public welfare during elections, but after winning votes it starts looting the hard-earned money of the people. These price hikes are being done only to benefit a few selected corporate houses close to the ruling party,” Aman Arora said.

Targeting the BJP over its poll promises, Aman Arora stated, “The BJP had promised to deposit ₹15 lakh into every citizen’s bank account, create two crore jobs and double farmers’ income. Instead of doubling farmers’ income, the BJP Government has continuously increased the financial burden on farmers through inflation and rising fuel costs.”

Highlighting the impact on Punjab’s farming sector, the AAP Punjab State President said the diesel price hike will directly hit agricultural operations during the paddy sowing season. “Farmers require thousands of litres of water and fuel for irrigation during paddy sowing. The increase in diesel prices will directly affect their agricultural operations and increase their financial burden,” he added.

Aman Arora further said that there was a time when even a minor increase in petrol prices would trigger nationwide protests, but people have now become exhausted and frustrated after enduring inflation for the last 12 to 13 years. “The present situation is the result of the BJP Government’s complete failure in domestic economic policies under the leadership of Narendra Modi,” he remarked.

Questioning the Centre’s claims of making India “Atmanirbhar”, Aman Arora said import dependency has instead increased significantly over the past decade. Taking a dig at the Centre’s foreign policy decisions related to oil imports, he said, “It is difficult to understand why India is hesitant in making independent decisions on purchasing oil despite opportunities available from countries like Russia.”

Strongly condemning the increase in petrol, diesel and CNG prices, Aman Arora demanded that the Central Government immediately roll back the hike. “If inflation continues to suffocate the common people, public anger could spill onto the streets, leading to major political consequences for the BJP Government,” he warned.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab Chief Spokesperson and MLA Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal on Friday strongly condemned the BJP-led Central Government over the steep increase in diesel, petrol and CNG prices, calling the move anti-national, anti-Punjab and outright anti-farmer.

Addressing a press conference alongside AAP leader Prabhvir Brar, AAP Punjab Chief Spokesperson Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal said the Narendra Modi-led government has once again delivered a massive inflation shock to the people of the country and exposed its anti-people mindset by pushing common citizens, farmers and labourers deeper into financial distress. “The timing of the diesel price hike has made the situation even more painful for Punjab’s farmers, as paddy sowing has already begun across the country, especially in Punjab,” he added.

The AAP Punjab Chief Spokesperson stated that under the leadership of CM Bhagwant Singh Mann, the Punjab Government has ensured canal water facilities for farmers, while paddy transplantation will begin in full swing from June 1. “Farmers are already working day and night preparing their fields for the next crop after completing wheat harvesting and straw management. In such a crucial period, increasing diesel prices by ₹3.11 per litre is nothing short of a betrayal of Punjab’s farmers and a direct attack on their livelihood,” he asserted.

Questioning the intentions of the BJP and PM Modi, Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal said the Modi government has continuously targeted Punjab and its farmers ever since it was forced to repeal the three black farm laws following the historic farmers’ movement. “The Centre is still trying to settle political scores with Punjab by repeatedly burdening farmers and labourers through anti-people decisions,” he added.

Referring to the withholding of Punjab’s Rural Development Fund (RDF) and the latest fuel price hike, Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal stated, “The BJP Government has once again imposed an unbearable financial burden on the farming community. Since Punjab feeds the nation, the impact of this diesel price hike will hit Punjab’s farmers the hardest.”

Speaking on the Central Government’s foreign and trade policies, Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal said that when the US-India trade deal was signed on February 26 this year, the AAP was the first political party in the country to strongly oppose the agreement through a press conference. “On the very same day, I had warned that PM Modi bowing before the United States would eventually harm the country’s interests,” he added.

Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal pointed out that India’s trusted ally Russia had been supplying crude oil at highly affordable rates ranging between $35 and $50 per barrel, rates that China continues to benefit from even today. However, he said that under pressure from the United States, the Modi government stopped purchasing Russian oil, the consequences of which are now being suffered by the people of the country through soaring fuel prices and inflation.

Taking a dig at Punjab BJP President Sunil Jakhar, Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal said, “Sunil Jakhar and Company, who until yesterday were busy defending the Central Government, must now explain to the people what kind of justice this is.”

He further stated that the Centre had insulted farmers just two days ago by announcing a meagre increase of only 72 paise per kilogram in the MSP of paddy, an amount too insignificant to match the rising cost of cultivation. “On one hand, the BJP Government increased MSP by merely 72 paise per kilogram, and on the other hand, it increased diesel prices by ₹3.11 per litre, putting an even heavier burden on farmers,” added Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal.

He said experts from Punjab Agricultural University should be consulted to understand the actual cost of paddy cultivation. “Rice is sold in the market at prices ranging from ₹50 to ₹200 per kilogram, while farmers have effectively been offered just a 72-paise increase,” he remarked.

Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal warned that the diesel price hike would not only affect farmers but also severely impact ordinary citizens across the country. He said that increased transportation and freight costs would trigger a sharp rise in the prices of essential commodities and food items, further burdening households already struggling with inflation.

Taking a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal said that while people are being advised to reduce car usage, rely on motorcycles and bicycles and cut fuel consumption, the Prime Minister himself has pushed the country deeper into inflation before leaving on foreign tours in government aircraft. “The AAP strongly condemns this anti-people decision of the Central Government and demands its immediate rollback,” concluded Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal.

As petrol prices rose soon after the conclusion of elections in five states, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) launched demonstrations across Ludhiana, Amritsar and Jalandhar, calling out the BJP-led central government for pushing the country deeper into inflation after first increasing gas cylinder prices and now fuel rates.

AAP leaders said that after the conclusion of elections in five states, the Central BJP government has continuously increased first the price of gas cylinders and now petrol prices, which has placed an economic burden on the lives of common people. They said that the foreign and domestic policy of the Modi Government has proven to be a failure.

During a demonstration in Amritsar, AAP Punjab State Chief Spokesperson and MLA Kuldeep Dhaliwal stated, “Due to inflation, the backbone of the country’s people has already been broken, and on top of that, the massive increase in fuel prices has made life extremely difficult for poor and middle-class families. Due to the rise in petrol and diesel prices, the prices of daily-use goods and vegetables have also skyrocketed, for which the pro-corporate policies of the Modi Government are directly responsible.”

Addressing the demonstration in Ludhiana, District President Jatinder Khangura warned the Central Government that if the increased prices are not withdrawn immediately, Aam Aadmi Party will intensify this struggle further and will raise the voice for the rights of the people from the streets to Parliament. “The party always stands with the common people and will not tolerate this exploitation by the Central Government,” he said.

In Jalandhar, District President Amritpal Singh asserted, “Due to the wrong policies of the BJP government, common people are suffering under the burden of inflation. The continuously rising prices of petrol and diesel have completely destroyed the household budgets of ordinary citizens. The increase in fuel prices is affecting every section of society and is also directly impacting essential daily commodities.”

With Punjab reeling under an unforgiving summer and a sharp rise in gastroenteritis and dehydration cases, the Bhagwant Mann government’s Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana (MMSY) has emerged as a strong support system for thousands of families.

The fierce summer has begun to leave its mark not merely on Punjab’s fields and sweltering roads, but increasingly inside hospital wards, where dehydration and stomach infections are sending hundreds to seek urgent treatment. However, amid the rising tide of illness, many families are finding reassurance through the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana (MMSY), which is enabling cashless medical care across the state.

From January to April, cashless treatment under MMSY has brought relief to 3,279 acute care cases across Punjab, with ₹73.42 lakh spent specifically on gastro- and abdominal illness-related treatments.

Hospitals in both government and empanelled private sectors are reporting a steady influx of patients suffering from acute gastroenteritis, vomiting, weakness, and severe dehydration. According to treatment records under MMSY, more than 1,400 patients have already availed treatment for dehydration-linked gastrointestinal illnesses during the month of April.

Among these cases, acute gastroenteritis accompanied by moderate dehydration accounted for the overwhelming majority, crossing 1,050 cases. Nearly 115 patients required treatment for severe dehydration, while more than 250 others were admitted for recurrent vomiting associated with fluid loss and exhaustion.

Dr. Shashi Kant Dhir, Professor and Head, Pediatrics, Guru Gobind Singh Medical College, Faridkot, says the scorching temperatures are aggravating the spread of stomach infections. “Food spoils more rapidly during intense heat, while contaminated water and unhygienic eating conditions further increase the risk of disease,” Dr. Dhir says, adding, “Patients commonly arrive complaining of diarrhoea, abdominal pain, nausea, dizziness, and fever. In severe situations, delayed treatment can lead to dangerously low blood pressure, kidney complications, and confusion caused by electrolyte imbalances.”

While older persons often experience slower recovery and reduced water retention capacity during this time, Dr. Shashi Kant Dhir warns that children too remain especially vulnerable during such outbreaks. “Children lose fluids at a far quicker rate through vomiting and diarrhoea.”

Treatment figures reveal that senior citizens have borne the brunt of the summer health crisis. More than 1,290 elderly beneficiaries have already received treatment under the scheme in April alone, compared to around 120 children.

Hoshiarpur emerged among the most severely affected districts, recording more than 250 elderly patients treated for acute gastroenteritis with moderate dehydration alone. Jalandhar too witnessed over 100 elderly admissions under the same category. Similar trends were observed in Patiala, Ludhiana, Rupnagar, Barnala, Sangrur, Bathinda, and Shahid Bhagat Singh Nagar.

Meanwhile, districts such as Sri Muktsar Sahib, Pathankot, Fatehgarh Sahib, and Gurdaspur reported cases involving recurrent vomiting and dehydration, many requiring urgent fluid management and hospital observation.

For countless families, however, the biggest relief has not merely been medical treatment but also the absence of financial tension. Under the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana, eligible citizens are receiving diagnosis, medicines, IV fluids, hydration therapy, and hospital care without out-of-pocket expenditure.

Officials say the MMSY Sehat Card has encouraged people to seek medical attention early rather than delaying treatment over fears of mounting bills. This has proved particularly important for economically vulnerable households, many of whom previously postponed hospital visits until conditions became critical.

Dr. Shashi Kant Dhir suggests, “Parents need to take extra precautions during the summer by ensuring children stay well hydrated, wear light cotton clothes, avoid peak heat hours, and consume fresh, home-cooked food.” He also urged parents to seek prompt medical attention if children show symptoms such as fever, vomiting, lethargy, or dehydration.

At a time when seasonal illnesses are tightening their grip across the state, the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana is becoming more than a welfare scheme. For many Punjabi families battling the harsh summer, it has become a much-needed assurance that timely healthcare and recovery will not come at the cost of financial ruin.