Chandigarh, May 3 (PTI) A delegation of the Punjab BJP met Governor Gulab Chand Kataria here on Sunday and submitted a memorandum raising various concerns, including the conduct of the chief minister and the AAP government’s recent action against some MPs who joined the BJP.
The delegation, led by state BJP chief Sunil Jakhar and consisting of state unit working president Ashwani Sharma and leaders Preneet Kaur, Shwait Malik, Vineet Joshi and Tikshan Sud, met the governor at the Lok Bhawan.
The memorandum expressed “grave concern over the constitutional misconduct, deterioration of governance, and misuse of state machinery in Punjab”.
“We write to you with deep concern over a series of disturbing developments that raise serious questions about governance, constitutional propriety, and the overall security framework in the state of Punjab,” the memorandum read.
Earlier, Jakhar and other BJP leaders had said that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann arrived for the special session of the assembly on Friday in an alleged inebriated state, calling it a serious issue.
However, Finance Minister and senior AAP leader Harpal Singh Cheema, while replying to questions on the allegation against Mann, had maintained that the opposition has levelled false and baseless allegations to defame the chief minister.
The BJP’s memorandum to the governor stated, “It has been widely reported and publicly discussed that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann attended the May 1 session of the Punjab Legislative Assembly in an inebriated condition…” The party alleged that such conduct represents a grave affront to the dignity of the House and undermines the sanctity of democratic institutions, and stated that it raises serious concerns about Mann’s ability to discharge constitutional duties effectively.
“Punjab is a sensitive border state, facing both internal and external security challenges. The leadership of such a state demands utmost responsibility, alertness, and discipline,” it said.
The BJP urged the governor to seek an explanation and recommend necessary action, including Mann’s removal as the chief minister, “in the interest of preserving constitutional integrity and public trust”.
Later, speaking to reporters, Jakhar said he told the governor that Mann is not fit to be the chief minister of a state.
Jakhar said he also brought to the governor’s notice that two Punjab ministers and a senior bureaucrat were humiliated in a state cabinet meeting on Friday, shortly before the special assembly session began.
“I urged the governor to seek a report in this regard and said the administration should be provided protection,” he said.
The BJP also claimed that there appeared to be a “disturbing pattern in the allocation and withdrawal of police security in Punjab, suggesting political bias rather than objective threat assessment”.
“The security cover of five Rajya Sabha members who joined the BJP was withdrawn abruptly. In contrast, the security cover of AAP MLA Raman Arora, despite being arrested in a corruption case, was reportedly restored after he attended the May 1 session of the assembly and voted in favour of the AAP government (in the confidence motion) … Such actions reflect discriminatory practices and raise questions about the neutrality of the state machinery. Security provisions must be based strictly on threat perception, not political affiliation,” the memorandum said.
Jakhar said the BJP will not be intimidated by the registration of two FIRs against Rajya Sabha MP Sandeep Pathak, who joined the party recently.
“By filing FIRs against Pathak, the AAP dispensation wanted to send a message to its party MLAs that if they go here or there (defect), cases will be slapped against them,” he said.
Jakhar said the Mann government may think that a no-confidence motion cannot be moved against it for six months now, as it won the confidence motion in the assembly on Friday.
“However, while leaving, I requested the governor in a lighter vein that he may take judicial advice on what is to be done if a majority of them (AAP MLAs) come to him and convince him that they hold the majority,” he said.
When asked if he has information that the AAP MLAs may defect, Jakhar quipped, “I am only stating my observations based on the way they are treating their own legislators. For Punjabis, self-respect is above anything else.” The BJP memorandum further said there are concerns regarding the misuse of state agencies to target political opponents.
“The registration of two FIRs against Rajya Sabha MP Sandeep Pathak is widely perceived as an act of political vendetta following his exit from the ruling AAP. Earlier, the Punjab Pollution Control Board initiated action against the Trident Group owner, Rajya Sabha MP Rajinder Gupta, soon after his association with the BJP. This sequence of events strongly indicates misuse of regulatory institutions to settle political scores,” it read.
In light of such actions, the memorandum requested the governor to seek a detailed report on the conduct of the chief minister and direct an impartial inquiry into the alleged misuse of police and regulatory agencies for political purposes.
“Punjab stands at a critical juncture. It is imperative to uphold democratic norms, institutional integrity, and public trust,” it read. PTI SUN VSD RUK RUK RUK
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.