Punjab’s flood inspection drive has sparked political backlash after a Facebook livestream caught three state ministers discussing cruises instead of relief efforts. The video, broadcast from transport minister Laljit Singh Bhullar’s account, showed Bhullar along with Harbhajan Singh and Barinder Kumar Goyal surveying flood-hit Tarn Taran on a boat.
During the livestream, the trio, seemingly unaware they were on camera, were heard talking about cruise trips in Sweden and Goa. Singh recalled his Swedish cruise experience, saying it offered hotel-like facilities on board, while Bhullar remarked that Goa offered something similar.
The opposition BJP and Congress slammed the Mann government, accusing its ministers of insensitivity toward flood victims. Following the uproar, another video was uploaded on Bhullar’s page in which the ministers urged citizens to obey government advisories and move to safer areas.
Singh, Goyal, and Bhullar are in charge of flood relief operations in Punjab’s border districts, holding portfolios of roads, water resources, and transport respectively.