The BJP on Friday participated for the first time in the Rakhar Punya event at Baba Bakala, a gathering traditionally associated with panthic parties.Addressing the gathering, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan targeted the Bhagwant Mann government, alleging that it had failed to properly utilise Central funds and implement several Union Government schemes.Seeking to allay concerns among farmers and their unions regarding trade negotiations with the United States, Chouhan said no trade agreement had been finalised so far and, therefore, there was no question of compromising farmers’ interests. He alleged that certain political parties were spreading confusion on the issue. He said the trade agreements signed with the UK and European countries had fully safeguarded the interests of farmers.Questioning the Punjab Government over the non-implementation of the PM Fasal Bima Yojana, he claimed the state had taken three months to submit a list of houses damaged during floods. According to him, the Centre released funds under the PM Awas Yojana after receiving a list of 24,000 affected houses, but the houses were never constructed for the beneficiaries.He promised that if a BJP government came to power in Punjab, every family living in a kutcha house would be provided a pucca house under the PM Awas Yojana. Earlier in the day, Chouhan paid obeisance at the Golden Temple and later interacted with farmers at Baba Bakala.Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said the Majha region was the gateway to India and asserted that improving infrastructure and curbing the smuggling of drugs and weapons would be among the BJP’s key priorities.Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon alleged that the AAP government had “ruined” Punjab during its four-and-a-half-year tenure. He claimed the state’s debt had increased from Rs 2.82 lakh crore to Rs 4.5 lakh crore under the present dispensation and alleged that another Rs 25,000 crore loan was being raised.Dhillon also accused the government of failing to fulfil its promise of eradicating drugs. He claimed that gangsterism, extortion and daylight murders continued unabated and alleged that law and order had deteriorated in the state.He further claimed that while AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal had promised annual mining revenue of Rs 20,000 crore, the actual earnings stood at only around Rs 600 crore.Among others who attended the event were BJP national vice-president Manpreet Singh Badal, former Union Railway Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu, Rajya Sabha MP Bikramjit Singh Sahney, former Punjab BJP presidents Ashwani Sharma and Vijay Sampla, Som Parkash, Iqbal Singh Lalpura, Fatehjang Bajwa, Ashwani Sekhri, Ravikiran Singh Kahlon and Harjinder Singh Thekedar. Rajya Sabha MP Tarun Chugh and former Punjab BJP president Jattvibeil Jakhar were also present at the event.