Knee-surgery beneficiaries dance at Punjab I-Day function sparks political slugfest
A political controversy has erupted in Punjab after elderly men featured in a government health scheme tableau were identified as health department employees rather than actual patients. The opposition has accused the AAP government of exploiting senior citizens for political optics.
Why it matters
The incident underscores the intense political scrutiny of state-sponsored public relations and the use of government resources for political branding.
CHANDIGARH: A video of three elderly men dancing at Punjab’s state-level Independence Day function in Ferozepur has triggered a political slugfest, with the opposition alleging that they were presented as beneficiaries of the state government’s knee-replacement scheme despite being health department employees, while the AAP defended the performance as an expression of beneficiaries’ happiness.The video shows the elderly men dancing to ‘Beh ke dekh jawana babe bhangra paunde ne’ as part of a health department tableau showcasing the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana. Chief minister Bhagwant Mann was present during the performance.Five people, including the three senior citizens, took part in the dance performance.
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