Aam Aadmi Party leader Bhagwant Mann was sworn in as Chief Minister of Punjab on March 16, 2022.
Defying the tradition of conducting the swearing-in ceremony at Raj Bhavan, Mr. Mann took oath at Khatkar Kalan, the ancestral village of freedom fighter ‘Shaheed-e-Azam’ Bhagat Singh. Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit administered the oath of office and secrecy to Mann in the swearing-in ceremony.
After the ceremony, Mr. Mann said his Government will address issues like unemployment, corruption and farmers’ plight which are plaguing the State.
“The work will start from today,” he said.
He said the condition of schools and hospitals in the State will be improved like it has been done by the AAP Government in Delhi.
Meanwhile, a number of singers and artists, including Gurdas Mann, Karamjit Anmol, singer-turned-politician and Congress MP Mohammad Sadique, and Amar Noorie, were present at the event.
Elaborate arrangements were made for the ceremony which was attended by AAP supporters from various parts of the state. The men were wearing yellow turbans while women draped a yellow ‘dupatta’.
"The golden rays of the sun have brought a new dawn today. Today the whole Punjab will take oath at Khatkar Kalan to make the dreams of Shaheed Bhagat Singh and Baba Sahib come true," Mr. Mann had tweeted in Punjabi earlier on March 16.
The decision to have the swearing-in ceremony at Khatkar Kalan was first announced on March 10, the day election results were announced.
Khatkar Kalan, in Nawanshahr district of Punjab has as a memorial of Bhagat Singh.
(With inputs from PTI)
