Amid the ongoing crisis in Bangladesh, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has used the sudden ousting of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to criticize Prime Minister Narendra Modi, implying that “dictators” face similar fates.

Speaking in Hoshiarpur at the state-level Van Mahotsav function on Tuesday, Mann referred to Hasina as a dictator and commented on the transient nature of autocratic leadership, according to the Indian Express. He remarked, “The abrupt end of Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year regime in Bangladesh serves as a lesson that dictatorial rule cannot last forever.”

Although Mann did not directly name PM Modi, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) later clarified that his remarks about Hasina were intended as a jab at Modi. AAP spokesperson Neel Garg explained, “The Chief Minister was conveying a message to the ruling dispensation at the Centre that dictatorship meets a similar fate. This has happened in the neighborhood, and India should take heed. The CM’s intention was only to convey this message.”

However, Leader of Opposition and senior Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa interpreted Mann’s remarks as an attack on Hasina, objecting to her being labelled a dictator and emphasizing her democratic election. “She is a guest in our country. Instead of making her feel at home, CM Mann called her a dictator. Such comments are highly deplorable,” Bajwa stated.

Bajwa also highlighted that Hasina is the daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father and first president of Bangladesh. After her father’s assassination in 1975, Sheikh Hasina sought and received refuge in Delhi.

Garg responded, “I don’t understand why Bajwa reacted this way. Didn’t we see a similar narrative in the Lok Sabha elections? Wasn’t Congress’s Rahul Gandhi leading a campaign against dictatorship in India? What has the CM said that’s different? Is it not the same message?”

He added, “If you don’t listen to people and imprison opposition leaders, this is bound to happen. Look at India’s state of affairs—unemployment is rampant, and the fallout from demonetisation is evident. Rulers can act autocratically. In India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, although democratically elected, is an autocratic leader. The INDIA bloc has even called Modi a Hitler. What happens when you don’t listen to people? Look at how the farmers are being treated.”

The Congress and AAP have shared a common stance in Punjab on calling PM Modi a Hitler and advocating for his ousting.