Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Friday launched a sharp counterattack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his allegations of “loot” and misuse of Central funds by the AAP government in Punjab.Addressing the media, Cheema accused the Prime Minister of trying to divert attention from corruption issues at the Centre. “Those who are stealing from temples are now levelling accusations against Punjab,” he said, referring to the alleged embezzlement of Ram Mandir funds.Cheema said the AAP government has delivered on all five primary guarantees it made to the people before forming the government. Listing them, he cited improvements in education, CM Health Insurance Scheme, and Maan Dhiyan Sarkar Yojana, among others.Targeting the previous SAD-BJP and Congress regimes, the Finance Minister said they were responsible for “beadbi” incidents and the spread of “chitta” in the state. “The AAP government brought an anti-sacrilege law and launched Yudh Nasheyan Virudh to root out drugs and protect the sanctity of our institutions,” he said.He further claimed that the AAP government’s expenditure on the state has far exceeded what was spent during the SAD-BJP and Congress eras. “The Prime Minister’s accusations stem from the insecurity within the BJP over the flagship works and development being done by AAP in Punjab,” Cheema added.The Finance Minister also expressed disappointment that the Prime Minister did not announce the clearance of Punjab’s pending dues during his visit. “Punjabis had huge hopes that the PM would clear the state’s pending dues today, but he has left them disappointed,” he said.