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‘Why Delhi, will send to Israel if needed,’ Punjab CM Mann shuts down Oppn

Opposition parties called Bhagwant Mann a 'rubber stamp' after his officers met Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal in his absence Monday.

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New Delhi: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has countered Opposition chatter about his bureaucrats meeting Arvind Kejriwal in Delhi with a defiant: “I will send them to Israel if needed!”

Earlier this week, Opposition parties in Punjab accused Arvind Kejriwal of running the state by “remote control” after his meeting in Delhi with Punjab’s chief secretary and the power secretary. Bhangwant Mann was not present at this meeting on Monday.

Mann told reporters Thursday: “If needed, for training purposes, I will send my officers to Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and even Israel. Why should anyone object to that? They (the Delhi government) are specialists in education, power, health. Why shouldn’t I send the officers.”

After the Monday meeting, former Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu tweeted: “Punjab’s IAS officers summoned by @ArvindKejriwal in CM @BhagwantMann’s absence. This exposes the Defacto CM & Delhi remote control. Clear breach of federalism, insult to Punjabi pride. Both must clarify.”

Shiromani Akali Dal’s Daljeet Singh Cheema, who is a former education minister of Punjab, called the meeting an instance of one “state government directly interfering” in matters of another.

He said: “We have heard a lot about Delhi as Union Govt interfering into the internal affairs of the States.

“But, it is for the first time that we are seeing Delhi, as State Govt directly interfering into the internal affairs of Punjab Govt.”

Former chief minister Amarinder Singh said “Kejriwal had taken over Punjab much before expected”.

Singh tweeted: “Worst was feared, worst happened. @ArvindKejriwal has taken over Punjab much before it was expected to happen. That @BhagwantMann is a rubber stamp was a foregone conclusion already, now Kejriwal has proved it right by chairing Punjab officers’ meetings in Delhi.”

Mann retaliated to this Thursday: “Is Captain Amarinder Singh everybody? Who is the Opposition? Where is the Opposition? Don’t criticise for the sake of criticising. It was I who sent the officers to Delhi, for training. They can go anywhere to learn good things. I allowed it.”

The AAP too was unfazed with the Opposition’s criticism. Spokesperson Malwinder Singh said earlier this week: “Mr Kejriwal is our national convener. We always take his guidance… if constructive steps are taken for betterment for Punjab… then the Opposition should support.”

AAP swept the Punjab Assembly polls last month with 92 of the 117-seat Assembly. Ruling Congress got 18, Shiromani Akali Dal three, BJP two and BSP and Independents one each.


Also read: AAP tears into Moose Wala song ‘calling Punjab voters traitors’, Congress defends poll nominee


 

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