With a major push on its flagship healthcare model in Punjab, the CM Bhagwant Singh Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)’s Punjab Government on Saturday dedicated 109 new Aam Aadmi Clinics to the people, taking the total number of such clinics in the state to 990 within four years, with 400 more set to be opened in the coming days. Positioning it as a large-scale expansion of free public healthcare, AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal shared that the clinics are providing 107 medicines and 47 diagnostic tests free of cost, adding that the network has already recorded 5 crore OPD visits.
The AAP Supremo shared that the government is issuing health cards to 65 lakh families, of which 30 lakh have already been made and 1.65 lakh people have availed treatment. Referring to allegations and legal proceedings against him, he said he and other party leaders were jailed in false cases to halt the “politics of work”, adding that the court found no evidence against him and upheld his “kattar imaandari” (staunch honesty). The former Delhi CM also drew a comparison with Delhi, cautioning voters against the BJP and stating that a change in government would lead to the rollback of welfare measures such as free electricity, healthcare, and other public services.
Addressing a massive gathering in Fatehgarh Sahib, AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal stated, “109 new Aam Aadmi Clinics are being inaugurated, where the poor will receive treatment and free medicines. In the last four years, 881 Aam Aadmi Clinics have already been built. Today, 109 more are being added, taking the total to 990 Aam Aadmi Clinics. In the coming days, 400 more Aam Aadmi Clinics will be built, which means there will be around 1500 Aam Aadmi Clinics across Punjab.”
He said, “In every corner of Punjab, in every village and ‘mohalla’, you will find an Aam Aadmi Clinic. If you have a minor illness, you can go there for treatment. The doctor consultation is free, the treatment is free, the tests are free, and the medicines are free. In the last 75 years, all other parties ruled Punjab, Congress ruled, BJP ruled, Akali Dal ruled, but not a single clinic was opened by them. Not a single clinic was opened where people could get such facilities and quality treatment.”
Arvind Kejriwal continued, “Within four years, the Aam Aadmi Party government has ensured free treatment across Punjab. So far, there have been 5 crore OPD visits. Punjab has a population of 3 crore, which means many people have visited multiple times. There are diabetes patients who go every month for medicines, there are blood pressure patients who go every month, and others who may have gone once, twice, or three times. But now people are receiving such facilities.”
Describing feedback and monitoring, he added, “From CM Bhagwant Singh Mann’s office, calls were made to all patients who visited Aam Aadmi Clinics. They were asked about their experience, they said it was very good. When asked if they faced any issues, they said no. They confirmed they received medicines and proper treatment from doctors. People gave immense blessings over the phone to Bhagwant Singh Mann, to the Aam Aadmi Party, and to all of us. Not a single person complained. Why? Because everything is being monitored from the Chief Minister’s office. There is no shortage of medicines, no shortage of tests, no shortage of doctors.”
“Whenever there is even a small issue, immediate instructions are issued from the top to fix it. Otherwise, it often happens that government dispensaries and clinics are built but do not function, and within ten days, they are left abandoned. But Aam Aadmi Clinics are not like that. Each clinic is being monitored closely by the Chief Minister’s office and all work is being carried out properly. From these 5 crore OPD visits, nearly 1.5 to 2 crore people have received treatment and given their blessings. In the last four years, we have earned your blessings, not money. We have not earned even a single penny, we have earned your blessings,” he asserted.
The AAP Chief further added, “Many people have made false allegations against me, against Manish Sisodia, and against senior leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party. They said Kejriwal took money, Kejriwal committed corruption, Kejriwal took ₹100 crore, and carried out a liquor scam. They put us in jail, I was kept in jail for six months, Manish Sisodia was kept in jail for one and a half years. Such powerful forces are after us. But now the court has said there is no evidence against Kejriwal, not a single piece of evidence.”
He shared, “The court upheld in its order that Kejriwal is ‘kattar imaandar’ (staunchly honest) and has not committed any wrongdoing, and that BJP leaders are lying. People asked me how such a miracle happened. I said even I find it hard to believe. But there is a higher power that stands with truth and supports honest people. This happened because in Delhi, we treated the poor, opened hospitals, and set up Mohalla Clinics. We treated crores of people and opened schools for poor children. The blessings and prayers of the poor are with us, God is with us, Guru Maharaj is with us, and as long as God is with us, no force can harm us.”
Explaining the health scheme, Arvind Kejriwal stated, “CM Bhagwant Singh Mann has started the ‘Mukh Mantri Sehat Bima Yojana’. Aam Aadmi Clinics have been set up near your homes for every poor family. God forbid you ever need it, but if you do, you should not worry about money. And if someone suffers from a serious illness like cancer, a heart attack, or needs a knee replacement, what will they do? Government hospitals are being improved, but it will take time. Until then, we have launched another scheme. The best private hospitals, where even Bhagwant Singh Mann goes for treatment, such as Fortis Hospital in Mohali, have now been opened for you as well. Any farmer, labourer, rickshaw puller, teacher, or any citizen of Punjab can get free treatment in the same hospitals where the Chief Minister, ministers, and MLAs get treated.”
He said that when we launched this scheme, Congress and BJP leaders started criticising us. They said why is this needed, poor people can go to government hospitals. They said this will spoil the poor. I want to ask you, should the poor get treatment in the best hospitals or not? Should treatment be free or not? Of course it should. The same hospitals where the Chief Minister gets treated will now treat the poor. When opposition parties tried to protest, the public chased them away. These days, the public itself drives them away.
Speaking on electricity and governance contrast, the AAP Supremo added, “We have made electricity free across Punjab. Punjab and Delhi were the only two states where electricity was free under Aam Aadmi Party governments. Now that Delhi no longer has our government, I’ve heard within six months free electricity may be stopped there. In Punjab, you are getting free electricity because of the Aam Aadmi Party government. If by mistake you vote for those people, think about what will happen in Punjab.”
“In Delhi, after our government went, all Mohalla Clinics were shut, medicines and tests in government hospitals were stopped, and now they are planning to end free electricity. Tickets for free bus travel for women have also been stopped. That is why the Aam Aadmi Party is necessary. Do not vote for other parties even by mistake,” he emphasised.
Highlighting farmers’ benefits, Arvind Kejriwal continued, “For farmers, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann has done a lot. Earlier, electricity for irrigation would come at 3 am or 4 am, sometimes only for half an hour. Now you get 7 to 8 hours of continuous electricity during the day, even up to 12 hours. There is no need to wake up at night anymore. Canal water is now reaching every field. Earlier only 22 percent farmers had irrigation water, now 78 percent farmers across Punjab have access to it. Earlier, after selling crops in mandis, farmers had to wait three to four months for payments. Now you take your crop in the morning, return home by evening, and before that you receive a message that your payment has been credited. Payments are now made the same day.”
Detailing welfare guarantees, he added, “All these facilities are due to the Aam Aadmi Party government. Soon, the biggest announcement will be implemented, where ₹1000 per month will be deposited into every woman’s account. Registration will begin around Baisakhi. For SC women, ₹1500 will be provided. Any woman above 18 years of age who is a resident of Punjab can register and start receiving the benefit. With this, we have fulfilled all our guarantees.”
The AAP Supremo asserted that during the 2022 elections, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann and I had made several promises, and not a single guarantee remains unfulfilled. Every promise has been delivered. Apart from this, we have also undertaken many other works. 4000 kilometres of roads are being built, connecting villages. Playgrounds are being developed in every village, and soon sports equipment will also be provided. Many more works have been done and many more will be done in the future.
Concluding, Arvind Kejriwal stated, “Other parties have nothing left to say. They only abuse us on Twitter. When they go to villages, people chase them away. They have now become Twitter (now X) parties. The Aam Aadmi Party must be brought back. Last time, you gave 92 seats. This time, do not give even a single seat to them. Give all 117 seats to the Aam Aadmi Party so that CM Bhagwant Singh Mann’s hands are strengthened and we can work even harder.”
Meanwhile, Punjab CM Bhagwant Singh Mann stated, “From this stage, we are talking about education, health, power, agriculture, and other sectors, whereas on the stages of other parties, only claims are being made to grab power. These opportunist leaders are baffled because people are not responding to them. Their agenda is limited to the welfare of their own families, not the people. Sukhbir Badal is carrying leaders of the ‘Smack Organization of India’ to plunder the state, and this is not acceptable.”
Recalling past leadership, he said, “Even Parkash Singh Badal never made Sukhbir the head of the state because he knew he would push Punjab into disarray. The Akali party was once known as the party of martyrs, but the Badal family ruined it by selling and supplying drugs to the youth, laying the pyres of our generations. They have misused the SGPC and the money from the golak of Gurudwaras for their own vested interests.”
Raising issues of justice, Bhagwant Singh Mann continued, “The former Deputy Chief Minister talks about development but turns a blind eye to Kotakpura, Behbal Kalan, and other places where ‘beadbi’ (sacrilege) of Sri Guru Granth Sahib took place and innocents were killed. Their Punjab Bachao Yatra is nothing but a ‘Parivar Bachao Yatra’. After looting the state for 15 years, from whom are they trying to save Punjab? The Akalis have plundered the state mercilessly, bruised the psyche of Punjabis, and patronised mafias.”
Highlighting governance and irrigation, he added, “People know the true character of the Akalis and the Badal family, which is why their theatrics will not work anymore. We have revived 6900 km of watercourses and 18,349 channels to ensure water reaches the tail ends, benefiting farmers immensely. Earlier, canals would stop at the residences of certain leaders, and they never bothered about the farmers.”
Contrasting leadership styles, the Punjab CM asserted, “Such decisions can only be taken by those who understand ground realities, not those educated in convent schools in the hills. Traditional parties have always betrayed Punjab and its people. They are envious because we have set an agenda focused on the welfare of the common man, while they only played musical chairs to take turns looting the state.”
Reflecting on the mandate, he stated, “This dirty game stopped when people gave us a massive mandate. Since then, we have taken several pro-people initiatives, which is why we are being targeted. These leaders have no vision for Punjab and are driven only by personal ambition. On the other hand, we have provided free electricity to 90 percent of households, given jobs to more than 65,000 youth without corruption, improved roads, closed toll plazas saving ₹70 lakh daily, and strengthened infrastructure.”
Highlighting pro-people schemes, Bhagwant Singh Mann said, “We have launched the Maavan Dhian Satkar Yojna under which women above 18 years will receive ₹1000 per month, and ₹1500 for women from SC community. The tax money belongs to the people, and we are using it for their welfare. It is coming back to them through development, schools, hospitals, and roads. We have fulfilled all our guarantees, and we will continue working for the progress of the state. We have closed 19 toll plazas in Punjab, saving ₹64 lakh daily for the common man. We have fulfilled every promise made to the people and will continue to do so. Our sole agenda is the progress of Punjab and the prosperity of its people.”
He added that Sukhbir Singh Badal is a convent-educated leader who does not understand the basic topography of Punjab but wants to rule it. Captain Amarinder Singh and his family have repeatedly deceived Punjab by siding with forces against the state, whether Mughals, Britishers, or now BJP. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a master of phraseology who can connect himself with anything as per convenience. In Congress, every leader wants to become Chief Minister. They have more CMs than workers. That is why their top leader had to publicly snub them in a recent rally. The Congress is a divided house that will collapse due to internal fighting.
Questioning leadership credibility, the Punjab CM remarked, “It is unfortunate that senior Congress leaders who come to unite these factions cannot even pronounce their names properly. They have no vision for Punjab and only want to plunder its wealth. Earlier, these parties waited for their turn to grab power, but now the broom is here to clean their mess. We are exploring the feasibility of putting high tension wires passing through farmers’ land underground. This will be implemented soon and will provide major relief to farmers, as these wires pose a huge risk to them and their crops.”
“Today, two major irrigation projects are being launched in Fatehgarh Sahib with an investment of ₹41.22 crore to deliver canal water to farmers’ fields. This includes the concrete lining of the 1L Distributary, Sangatpura Minor, Reethkheri Minor, and Chaleila Sub-Minor. Earlier, due to low capacity, surplus water flowed to Haryana while Punjab’s fields suffered. Now every drop of Punjab’s river water will reach Punjab’s fields, benefiting 41,726 acres across 70 villages,” he shared.
Explaining technical upgrades, Bhagwant Singh Mann further shared, “The capacity of 1L will increase from 95.5 cusecs to 142.91 cusecs. Sangatpura Minor will increase from 17 to 30.74 cusecs, Reethkheri Minor from 49.70 to 73.69 cusecs, and Chaleila Sub-Minor from 18.80 to 31.27 cusecs. This canal originated from the Bhakra Main Line in 1960, but over time, structural weakening reduced its efficiency. With concrete lining, carrying capacity will increase by 1.5 times. We have restored 21,000 feet of previously non-functional sections of Reethkheri and Chaleila minors, which will provide irrigation to an additional 6,534 acres. Since 2022, around 11,477 acres of land have already been brought under canal irrigation.”
On this occasion, senior Aam Aadmi Party leader Manish Sisodia, along with Cabinet Ministers Aman Arora, Dr Balbir Singh, Tarunpreet Singh Sondh, Barinder Goyal, Gurmeet Singh Khudian, Dr Ravjot, Harbhajan Singh ETO, Mohinder Bhagat, and others were also present
