Punjab drug-free claim backfires: BJP, Cong target CM Mann over ‘intoxicated’ jibe

The BJP and Congress slammed Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann after allegations surfaced that he appeared drunk inside the Assembly. Leaders accused Mann of hypocrisy, citing his pledge to make Punjab free of intoxication, while also claiming his conduct tarnishes the state’s image.

New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress on Friday launched a scathing attack on Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann following allegations of the latter appearing drunk inside the state Assembly. The leaders remarked that Mann is the same Chief Minister who had claimed to make the state free of intoxication.

Expressing shock over the incident, Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva said: “I am surprised that a person who has taken the oath of the Constitution, is holding such a position, and speaking in the premises of the Assembly, is struggling under the influence of alcohol.”

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He added that both the Assembly and the Parliament are temples of democracy.

“If Bhagwat Man is doing such a practice in that temple, then it is very shameful,” he told IANS.

Sachdeva also said: “This is the same Chief Minister who claims to make Punjab free of intoxication; rather he has pushed all the youth of the state into intoxication.”

He also accused AAP Convenor Arvind Kejriwal of starting the same kind of culture in Delhi.

Punjab Congress President Amarinder Singh Raja Warring said that if the rules and regulations of the state Assembly are not followed by the Chief Minister, “then who will?”

“If the Opposition has raised a point and if there is no such thing, then the Chief Minister (Bhagwant Mann) should prove it. Due to such acts, the image of Punjab and its people is being tarnished,” he told IANS.

Moreover, Warring alleged that the Punjab government, including Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, is under “pressure”.

“They (AAP) know that the BJP, with Raghav Chadha and Sandeep Pathak, can give a jolt to the government. Everything is happening under pressure,” he said.

The State Congress President added: “The AAP is in a very delicate situation. They are not even trusting their own MLAs.”

Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Punjab Assembly, Partap Singh Bajwa, said, “This is the first time in 75 years after the independence of the country that such a serious charge has been levelled against the Chief Minister, the elected leader of the House. And he was not ready to accept it.”

According to Bajwa, the Punjab Chief Minister had a big opportunity to clarify his position.

“Since he did not do so, our (Congress’) allegation proves to be correct,” the LoP said.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mann won the confidence motion in the House with unanimous support.