Punjab Outlook

Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema has launched a scathing attack against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of insulting the Punjabi language and the people of Punjab during Modi’s visit to flood-affected areas on September 9, 2025. The allegations have created a significant political controversy, highlighting the tensions between the state government and the Centre over disaster relief efforts.
The Core Incident
The controversy centers around a heated exchange during a review meeting in Gurdaspur. According to Minister Cheema’s account, Punjab Cabinet Minister Hardeep Singh Mundian directly confronted Prime Minister Modi about the inadequacy of the announced financial assistance. Mundian reportedly told Modi that the Rs 1,600 crore aid package was “meagre” and pressed for a much larger interim relief package of Rs 20,000 crore to address the scale of destruction.
Cheema alleges that Modi’s response was both dismissive and linguistically offensive. The Finance Minister claims that the Prime Minister replied, “Kya aapko Hindi samajh nahin aati? Aapko samajh nahin aata ke Rs 1,600 crore de diya” (do you not understand Hindi? Do you not understand that Rs 1,600 crore has been given?). This response, according to Cheema, was a direct slight against the Punjabi language and the cultural identity of Punjab.
Minister’s Interpretation and Broader Allegations
Cheema interpreted Modi’s alleged remarks as a fundamental insult to Punjabi identity. He stated that the Prime Minister’s response meant “the PM insulted our mother language Punjabi, people of Punjab and Punjabiyat.” This interpretation goes beyond the immediate financial disagreement to touch on deeper issues of linguistic pride and regional respect within India’s federal structure.
The Finance Minister’s criticisms extended well beyond the language controversy. He strongly condemned the timing of Modi’s visit, emphasizing that the Prime Minister came to Punjab almost 30 days after the devastating floods had initially struck the state. This delay, Cheema suggested, demonstrated a lack of urgency and concern for Punjab’s crisis.
Criticism of Relief Efforts and Political Conduct
Cheema described the Rs 1,600 crore aid package as “miserably meagre” when compared to the massive destruction caused by what officials are calling Punjab’s worst floods since 1988. Using the Hindi phrase “oont ke muh mein jeera” (cumin in a camel’s mouth), he suggested that the announced amount was negligible compared to the actual need for reconstruction and relief.
The Finance Minister also accused Modi of showing insufficient empathy and poor priorities during his flood zone visit. According to Cheema, instead of meeting with grieving families who had lost loved ones, farmers whose crops were destroyed, and laborers whose homes were washed away, the Prime Minister “only rubbed salt on their wounds.” He further alleged that Modi sidelined Punjab’s elected government during his day-long visit and focused primarily on meeting BJP party workers rather than genuine flood victims.
Cheema went so far as to suggest that if Modi only wanted to meet his party workers, “he could have invited them to Delhi for a tea party instead of visiting Punjab and putting on this dramatic show.” He also alleged that BJP leaders were “portrayed as flood victims” during the Gurdaspur meeting, suggesting a politicization of the disaster relief process.
Political Context and Implications
This confrontation reflects the mounting frustration of Punjab’s ruling Aam Aadmi Party government with what it perceives as inadequate central assistance for the state’s urgent needs. The political tensions have been building as the state faces its most severe natural disaster in decades, with official figures confirming 52 deaths and crop losses across 1.91 lakh hectares of farmland. Thousands of families remain displaced, and comprehensive rehabilitation efforts are still underway.
The controversy underscores broader Centre-state tensions in India’s federal system, particularly when different political parties control the central and state governments. The dispute is likely to intensify political confrontations in the coming weeks, with the Punjab government continuing to press for additional support while opposition parties seize on the issue to highlight perceived central government neglect of Punjab’s crisis.