CHANDIGARH: Youth Akali Dal President Sarabjeet Singh Jhinjer today strongly condemned the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government for converting the renowned sports ground of Sri Guru Nanak Dev University in Amritsar into a tent city for Arvind Kejriwal’s so-called anti-drug rally, calling it a direct assault on the future of Punjab’s youth.
“Is this your sports model?” asked Jhinjer. “You have destroyed the very infrastructure that previous governments built for our budding athletes, just to satisfy your Delhi masters. Your government has not given Punjab even a single new stadium or ground, yet you shamelessly hijack existing ones for political tamashas.”
Taking a scathing dig at the AAP leadership, Jhinjer said, “Who is Arvind Kejriwal anyway? A defeated MLA from Delhi, for whom Bhagwant Mann is building helipads on grounds where children train daily. This is not governance—it’s betrayal.”
Highlighting the plight of young athletes, Jhinjer added, “Listen to the kids — they are saying that every month their training is disrupted, their grounds are ruined. After every AAP event, garbage is left behind, structures are broken, and the facilities are left unusable. Injuries and hardships have become routine. Is this what the government thinks of our champions?”
He also slammed the political drama around the so-called ‘war against drugs’, questioning, “Why does your war against drugs need a stage, mics, and political speeches? Why should Punjabis be forced to listen to Arvind Kejriwal sermonize on drugs, when your own Chief Minister is infamous for struggling with alcoholism?”
“These young athletes are the pride of Punjab, ” Jhinjer said. “This sacred ground has produced some of our finest sports stars. Instead of supporting them, you are sacrificing their dreams for cheap political optics.”
Demanding accountability, Jhinjer said that Bhagwant Mann must immediately apologise to Punjab’s youth for this betrayal and ensure that political gimmicks are shifted to some other venue in the future. “Sports grounds are meant for nurturing champions, not for satisfying political egos, ” he added.
In a direct challenge to the Chief Minister, he concluded:
“Bhagwant Mann ji, answer honestly — is this a ‘war against drugs’ or a war against our young athletes?”