Chandigarh, May 1
Speaking at a “People’s Assembly” called by the BJP, state president Sunil Jakhar said that after his conduct in today’s Assembly session, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann has completely lost the moral right to remain in office.
Jakhar termed the day a black day in Punjab’s democratic history and said the party will meet the Punjab Governor to demand that Bhagwant Mann is unfit for the position. Earlier, before the special Assembly session, he had posted on social media demanding breathalyzer tests for leaders entering the Assembly—tests used by police to check whether drivers have consumed alcohol.
Addressing the gathering, the BJP leader said it would have been better if the government had conducted an alcohol test instead of a floor test. He added that while opposition parties often boycott the Assembly, today the Chief Minister himself walked out when challenged about his demeanour and conduct. He accused Mann of not only insulting the sanctity of the Assembly but also disrespecting the turban blessed by the Gurus. He said that regardless of how many MLAs support him, Mann has lost the trust of the people of Punjab.
Jakhar further alleged that before the Assembly session, in a meeting, two ministers—Aman Arora and Sanjeev Arora—and the Punjab Chief Secretary were severely humiliated. He expressed surprise that despite such humiliation, the ministers continue to remain in power out of lust for power.
Jakhar said the session was called in the name of workers, but its real objective was to buy six more months for the government. He alleged that Punjab is under a debt of around ₹4.5 lakh crore, corruption has crossed all limits, and the law-and-order situation is extremely serious, while the AAP government has not moved beyond advertising.
Referring to financial assistance from the Central Government, Jakhar said that funds for canal water projects are entirely coming from the Centre. He also mentioned that Punjab has received crores of rupees under special assistance scheme from the central government.
Jakhar claimed that the people of Punjab have already judged this government and are eager to remove it. According to him, the AAP leadership has turned Punjab into an ATM and is trying to extract as much as possible before leaving power. He also warned bureaucrats working against rules, saying that all their assets and properties are known.
During the session, a no-confidence resolution against the government was passed. Condolence resolutions were also passed for over 1,600 youths who allegedly died due to drugs, DM Gagandeep Singh Randhawa, victims of gangster violence, and those who lost their lives due to floods caused by government failure.
