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Buzz | Proactive minister
Punjab's Industries Minister Sanjeev Arora urged ArcelorMittal to reconsider a major steel investment for Punjab, while political tensions grew in the Vidhan Sabha.
Industries and commerce minister Sanjeev Arora has been quite proactive in pushing for investments in Punjab. At the inaugural session of the Progressive Punjab Investors’ Summit-2026 in Mohali on Friday, when ArcelorMittal chairperson Lakshmi Niwas Mittal announced that HPCL-Mittal Energy Limited’s Guru Gobind Singh Refinery would invest ₹2,600 crore in the specialty and fine chemicals sector, Arora told him that they were not satisfied. “We have got a whiff that you plan to invest ₹1.25 lakh crore in a steel plant in Andhra Pradesh. Please reconsider your decision. Let us know what you want. We need that investment here,” he said. Mittal just smiled in response. At the valedictory session of the three-day meet, he responded to each and every participant’s suggestion and remarks. It was no surprise that his bosses and industry representatives praised him.
Ganieve Kaur springs a surprise
SAD legislator Ganieve Kaur Majithia took just about everyone, including members on the treasury benches, by surprise with her sharp attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha last week. During the debate on a resolution brought by the AAP members on Tuesday to censure Congress legislator Sukhpal Singh Khaira for remarks on women celebrating the ₹1,000 monthly stipend, when the speaker called out Ganieve Kaur’s name to speak, there were some chuckles from the treasury benches. She instantly went for the jugular, taking aim at those who laughed. “Is this respect? Is this the way they respect women?” she asked. She said that AAP members who claim to stand for women’s dignity and respect should first clarify whether they would condemn the comments made by the chief minister on women in his speeches. The first-time MLA then questioned the police encounters, asking whether the mothers of those killed were getting justice. She also spoke about the treatment meted out to anganwadi workers during their protests. “Who have they shown respect to?” she asked, making her presence felt in a brief speech.
There’s no stopping Khaira
Already facing criticism for his remarks about women both inside and outside the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira, during a press conference in Jalandhar, again commented on the conduct of the ruling AAP’s women legislators in the assembly. Khaira said public representatives should maintain decorum and mutual respect during assembly proceedings. Referring to a recent exchange in the assembly, he alleged that the women legislators attacked him like an army. “Auratan vi kade aven badmashi kardian vekhian,” he said. In another controversial remark, Khaira said that Nakodar MLA Inderjit Kaur Mann was heavily trolled on social media, with some users comparing her to certain outspoken Bollywood actors and a late social media influencer.
People outreach
Chief minister Bhagwant Mann’s flagship programme of holding ‘Lok Milnis’ resonates with the much-hyped ‘Sangat Darshan’ events pioneered by former CM Parkash Singh Badal during his 2007-2017 tenure. The key similarity between the two programmes is that grievances of people were heard by the CM personally in the presence of the district’s top administrative officials. “It is more of an old wine in a new bottle,” claimed a senior official. However, a key difference is that for Lok Milnis, people have to come through MLAs or halqa in-charges, and these interactions are usually held in a controlled setting without any media presence. In contrast, Sangat Darshan programmes were open to all, and grievances were largely handled by the administration in the presence of the media.
Aroras’ dapper look
During a recent session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, speaker Kultar Singh Sandhawan complimented cabinet ministers Sanjeev Arora and Aman Arora for being well-dressed and wearing bright attires. “Please stand up”, he told Sanjeev Arora, asking him to show his attire. The industries minister was wearing a royal blue kurta-pyjama with a matching jacket. “It is speaker saab’s greatness that he sees the good in us,” he replied humbly. Referring to Aman Arora, who is also the AAP’s state president, the speaker said, “Do you two decide every day what to wear?” Aman, too, wore a blue jacket one day. On another occasion, Sandhwan told Budhalada MLA Budh Ram that he was turning younger with each passing day. “My looks are deceptive. My elder son is your age,” the MLA replied.
Sukhbir’s dig at party hoppers
Shiromani Akali Dal president and former deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal took a dig at leaders who switched sides during the party’s difficult phase, saying many of them are now trying to return. Addressing the Punjab Bachao rally at Ludhiana’s Koom Kalan on Saturday, Sukhbir said several leaders who had left the party earlier are now eager to rejoin, believing that the future of Punjab lies with the SAD. He remarked that many such leaders are “knocking on his doors in a bid to gatecrash” and trying to make their way back into the party. However, Sukhbir added that it would ultimately be up to the party leadership and workers to decide whether such turncoats should be allowed back into the party fold.
Politicos rally behind Farooq
After Farooq Abdullah, senior National Conference leader and former chief minister, narrowly escaped an assassination attempt at a wedding ceremony in Jammu, serious concerns were raised about how the attacker, Kamal Singh Jamwal, a 63-year-old Jammu businessman, managed to reach so close to him. The security lapse sparked widespread condemnation from political leaders across parties. Many questioned the security arrangements and sought answers from the LG administration and the Centre. Political leaders from both Jammu and Kashmir united in condemning the incident despite their political differences. Abdullah is among the senior-most politicians in the country and is known to enjoy good relations across the political spectrum.
Anurag vs Anurag
A brief moment of humour and political banter marked the felicitation ceremony organised by the Congress in Shimla on Monday to honour the party’s newly elected Rajya Sabha (RS) member Anurag Sharma. Addressing the gathering at Rajiv Bhawan, chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, while explaining the process behind the nomination for the RS seat, had a slip of tongue when he referred to BJP leader Anurag Thakur instead of Anurag Sharma, drawing smiles from those present in the hall. This was followed by deputy CM Mukesh Agnihotri’s political jibe referring to the similarity in the two names. “Anurag se Anurag hi takrayegea (Anurag will take on Anurag), triggering laughter among the audience.
(Contributed by Navneet Sharma, Navrajdeep Singh, Gurpreet Singh Nibber, Tarsem Singh Deogan, Mir Ehsan, Shailee Dogra)
