A video featuring former Ramgarh Bhundar sarpanch Gurbinderjit Singh has ignited a political controversy in Punjab. The Opposition has accused the Bhagwant Mann government of leveraging police force to intimidate villagers who reported substandard road construction in Bathinda’s Maur constituency. This incident underscores growing concerns about government accountability and transparency in infrastructure projects.
The issue escalated on Sunday when PWD Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO visited the village to inspect the road. Senior Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia sharply attacked the Mann government, alleging that police action was being used to suppress evidence and intimidate villagers. He questioned why CCTV equipment and mobile phones were allegedly seized if the road construction had been carried out properly. Majithia also accused Harbhajan Singh ETO of inspecting only the portion of the road where better-quality work had been carried out while allegedly avoiding the damaged stretch highlighted by villagers. Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring also joined the attack. He alleged that poor road construction and claims of corruption had been met with raids, threats and seizure of CCTV DVRs and phones instead of accountability. He also lashed out at the Opposition, saying that they could raise issues, but they should not conspire against the government.
Villagers were stopped from reaching the site and were not allowed to meet the minister, according to the former sarpanch. He demanded a CBI probe into what he described as the “Ramgarh Bhundar road scam” and said the minister should apologise to Punjabis. Posting on X, Warring said, “Don’t shoot the messenger, Bhagwant Mann,” accusing the government of unleashing what he called “brutal retribution” against villagers for exposing poor road work. He alleged that the episode had exposed the “autocratic and dictatorial face” of the AAP government. Former Union Minister and BJP leader Ravneet Singh Bittu also questioned the government, asking whether this was the “Badlav” promised by the Mann government. Aam Aadmi Party leader Neel Garg said the minister visited the village over the row.
