New Delhi, Oct 26: The Aam Aadmi Party launched a sharp attack against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration following a National Human Rights Commission inspection of super deluxe buses used in Punjab’s Mukh Mantri Tirath Yatra scheme. AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal questioned the unprecedented nature of the check, maintaining that the action was a deliberate effort to derail the Bhagwant Mann government’s program for senior citizens.
Kejriwal asserted on social media that the human rights body had never conducted similar checks on state transport buses in other regions, such as Uttar Pradesh. He maintained that targeting super deluxe buses carrying elderly pilgrims was unfair, warning that obstructing religious journeys for senior citizens would draw public resentment across Punjab.
Senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia joined the criticism, declaring that the commission remained silent during critical rights issues while choosing to investigate bus air conditioning complaints in Punjab. Sisodia remarked that the agency’s name should be changed to reflect political bias, accusing the ruling party at the Centre of using national institutions for political ends.
Under the Mukh Mantri Tirath Yatra Scheme, the Punjab government provides fully funded pilgrimages for elderly residents to prominent holy sites, including Sri Amritsar Sahib, Haridwar, and Mathura. State figures show that approximately seven lakh pilgrims have availed the free service to date.
