“NRIs play a crucial role in Punjab’s economy, as they have their businesses and ancestral property in the state. Taking that into account, the AAP government in Punjab must have taken up the matter with the Centre.”
— Bajwa
The Punjab leader of opposition Partap Singh Bajwa criticised Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for his silence regarding the Centre’s decision to suspend visas for Canadian citizens, and accused the state government of “ignoring the Punjabi diaspora in Canada”, according to a report in the Times of India.
Bajwa said that NRIs play a crucial role in Punjab’s economy, as they have their businesses and ancestral property in the state. Taking that into account, the AAP government in Punjab must have taken up the matter with the Centre, he said.
“The hospitality sector in Punjab has also started facing the heat, with NRIs putting off their visit to India ahead of the festival and wedding season.”
“The AAP owes a lot to Punjabi NRIs. The Punjab CM and the AAP’s national convener and the Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal should not forget that it was the Punjabi NRIs who made immense contributions to set up the AAP in Punjab. Why is the Punjab CM still mum on the issue? Does he not care about the Punjabi NRIs residing in Canada?” Bajwa asked.
“The wedding season in Punjab is just around the corner. Like every year, Punjab will host a string of NRI weddings across various palaces and resorts here for the next five months. But the strained ties between India and Canada have left the families of brides and grooms, who had been planning big, fat weddings, worried,” Bajwa added.
“The hospitality sector in Punjab has also started facing the heat, with NRIs putting off their visit to India ahead of the festival and wedding season,” he claimed.
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