In the backdrop of dissidence in Punjab Congress due to his political initiatives without keeping the Pradesh Congress Committee in the loop, party leader Navjot Singh Sidhu on Sunday held another rally and attacked the AAP government in Punjab over various issues including rising debt during a rally in Bathinda district.

It was Sidhu's second rally in Bathinda in less than a month and it was organised by Sidhu's close aide Harvinder Singh Laddi.  The previous rally of the former cricketer at Mehraj village in Bathinda on December 17 had evoked a sharp reaction from several Congress leaders including Partap Singh Bajwa who had then asked Sidhu to join the party's programmes instead of setting up his "own stage".

Later, some Congress leaders also demanded action against Sidhu, alleging "his actions often work against the interests of the party as a whole". 

Addressing Sunday's public meeting at Kotshamir village in Bathinda, Sidhu targeted the Bhagwant Mann government in Punjab over rising debt.  He claimed that the state government had taken Rs 2,500 crore more debt in this year.  "Rs 2,500 crore of debt has been taken this new year. They (AAP government) are taking Rs 40,000 crore of loan every year and paying Rs 35,000 crore of interest. It is to be paid by the people of Punjab," Sidhu said.

He slammed the AAP government for not fulfilling its promise of giving Rs 1,000 per month to all women in the state.  "Women are sitting here. Have you got Rs 1,000," he asked. Further hitting out at the Mann government over the issue of jobs, Sidhu alleged that the state government reduced the number of jobs in the irrigation department from 16,000 to 8,000.  "When there is no money, how will you pay the salary," he said.

On the issue of electricity, Sidhu asked Mann whether he had earlier told people that free electricity would be given by raising debt.