A day after Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit criticised Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann over the latter’s absence from civic reception that he had hosted for President Droupadi Murmu, the Opposition parties on Sunday took a dig at the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and its leaders.
On October 8, Mr. Purohit took exception of Mr. Mann skipping the reception held for the President during her visit to Chandigarh. Unhappy with Mr. Mann’s absence, the Governor had said that “it was important to fulfil one’s constitutional responsibility”. Following this, Cabinet Minister Aman Arora reacted sharply, terming the remark as ‘uncalled for’ and urged the Governor “to restrain from making such statements in the future”.
Mr. Mann was on October 8 campaigning for the upcoming Assembly election in Gujarat for his party along with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
Mr. Arora said that Mr. Mann’s event was scheduled and he had deputed him to receive and welcome President Droupadi Murmu during her visit in the Chandigarh. “I along with seven other Cabinet Ministers and all senior bureaucrats attended the event to celebrate Air Force Day today. However, the Governor made this unfortunate remarks against CM,” he said in a statement.
Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa, who is also the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, expressed his anguish over the Chief Minister’s absence and said the AAP government is inherently anarchist since they don’t even respect the highest constitutional chair.
“Not only the Governor of Punjab but the entire Opposition condemned Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for not rendering his ‘constitutional obligations’. It seems that the Chief Minister does not believe in the established principles of the Constitution,” he said on Sunday.
Terming the Chief Minister’s absence as ‘unfortunate’, Punjab BJP State president Ashwani Sharma said Mr. Mann’s absence from the event shows a complete neglect and an act of irresponsibility towards performing constitutional responsibilities by the Chief Minister.
“While Mr. Mann was campaigning in Gujarat for his party, Punjab is suffering on account of deteriorating law and order, drug overdose deaths, illegal mining among other issues but the Chief Minister is least bothered about the people of Punjab,” he said.
Hitting out at the Chief Minister and blaming him for keeping party politics over his constitutional duty, former Minister and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Daljit Cheema said, “The Chief Minister of Punjab has preferred party politics over constitutional duties. He should have been present at Air Force Day show where Hon’ble President of India was the chief guest. With this brazen violation of protocol he has let the Punjabis down in the eyes of Nation,” he said.
Last month, the Governor and the AAP government were involved in a face-off over holding a special session the State Assembly for tabling of ‘confidence motion’, following the AAP’s allegation that attempts were being made to topple its government in Punjab by offering bribes to its legislators by agents of the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP).
