Chandigarh, April 24: Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has characterized the recent exit of seven Rajya Sabha MPs from the Aam Aadmi Party as a desperate attempt by the BJP to create an alternative to his government. Addressing the media in Chandigarh on Friday, Mann stated that the BJP is attempting to manufacture a presence in Punjab by absorbing leaders from the ruling party through coercion and fear.
The Chief Minister was joined in his criticism by Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh, who spoke earlier in Delhi. Singh affirmed that the move is a continuation of “Operation Lotus,” noting that leaders like Ashok Mittal, who were recently under investigation by the Enforcement Directorate, have now joined the BJP. Singh stated that the central government must answer for the timing of these defections in relation to ongoing federal investigations.
During his address, Mann noted the irony of the new political alliances, pointing out that BJP leaders who were recently critics of the defecting MPs must now welcome them. He affirmed that Union Home Minister Amit Shah is behind the strategy because there is no viable political alternative to the current Punjab administration. “Amit Shah must not have liked the fact that there is no alternative to Bhagwant Mann,” the Chief Minister declared.
Mann affirmed that the public would not forgive those who abandoned the party mandate for personal safety or political gain. He stated that the government remains focused on its work despite the political shifts in New Delhi, asserting that the strength of the organization lies in its service to the state rather than the presence of specific individuals. The Chief Minister maintained that the BJP’s history of betraying Punjab, specifically during the farmers’ protests, would ensure the public remains skeptical of these new developments.
