Launching a sharp attack on the BJP-led central government, the Shiromani Akali Dal and the Congress, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann said political opponents were trying to malign the Aam Aadmi Party’s image.Addressing a ‘Lok Milni’ programme at Sahib Chand village, Mann said, “AAP’s good governance is being deliberately projected as a failure, but we will not let that happen.”The CM said the state was passing through a “very sensitive phase”, alleging that Punjab was facing pressure from the Centre on one side and security threats through drones from Pakistan on the other.He claimed that people of Punjab were looking beyond the traditional parties and had found a “third alternative” in the form of AAP, while doubling down on the recently passed anti-sacrilege law, the Jaagt Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Act, 2026, saying strict legal provisions had now been introduced to deal with incidents of desecration.The CM said the law was formulated keeping Sikh sentiments in view and claimed that only “one family” (referring to the Badals) was opposing it. He then called on the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) leadership to act as Guru Gobind Singh’s soldiers “rather than remaining loyal to Sukhbir Badal”.Mann also took a dig at the SAD and BJP over their alliance talks, as well as at the internal leadership tussles within the state Congress unit — targeting the likes of former minister Bikram Singh Majithia, SAD (A) president Simranjit Singh Mann, Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, a three-time MLA from the constituency, and BJP leader Manpreet Singh Badal, who has also represented Gidderbaha in the Assembly four times.Highlighting the state government’s “pro-people” initiatives, he said a recent NITI Aayog-related education survey had put Punjab ahead of Kerala in school-related indicators. He also announced a grant of Rs 31 lakh for interlocking tiles in the village and Rs 20 lakh for a village pond, and handed over a cheque to the local MLA and the village sarpanch.Mann also asked attendees to, through a show-of-hands survey, reveal whether they wanted the AAP government to return to power.Earlier, Gidderbaha MLA Hardeep Singh Dimpy Dhillon listed the government’s achievements and local demands before the CM’s address.Tight security arrangements were in place during the programme. Those wearing black clothes were denied entry by the police.