CHANDIGARH: Dismissing Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal’s charge that Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was deplaned from a flight due to intoxication, the Aam Aadmi Party on Monday said that the Opposition doesn’t have issues to talk and the Punjab CM had health problems. Mann returned from his eight-day trip from Germany on Monday.
Badal, citing a media report, alleged that Mann was deplaned from a flight as he was “too drunk to walk” leading to a four-hour delay in the flight.
“Disturbing media reports quoting co-passengers say Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was deplaned from a Lufthansa flight as he was too drunk to walk. And it led to a 4-hour flight delay. He missed AAP’s national convention. These reports have embarrassed and shamed Punjabis all over the globe,” tweeted Badal earlier in the day.
Responding to the allegations, AAP leaders Kuldeep Dhaliwal and Meet Hayer held a joint press conference and said, “Anyone can have health issues. The Opposition does not have any issues to talk about. That is why they are highlighting this issue which is meaningless and fake.”
Earlier, Badal slammed the Punjab government over their silence on the issue and sought clarifications on the incident. He also asked AAP leaders including party chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to come clean on the issue.
“Shockingly, Punjab government is mum over these reports involving their CM Bhagwant Mann. Arvind Kejriwal needs to come clean on this issue. The Government of India must step in as this involves Punjabi and national pride. If he was deplaned, the Government of India must raise the issue with its German counterpart,” he added.
On August 31, a delegation, including Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal, submitted a memorandum to Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit and demanded a CBI inquiry into the state excise policy.
The delegation alleged a scam in the policy.
“There has been a scam in Punjab excise policy just like it happened in Delhi. Just like the Delhi LG has ordered an inquiry into the excise policy case, we demand a CBI inquiry along the same lines in Punjab,” said Badal. “For the first time, profit in album licence has been increased from 5 pc to 10 pc. So, we have demanded a CBI inquiry,” he added.
Taking to Twitter, the SAD chief said that they have demanded CBI and ED probes in the Punjab excise policy. “Submitted a memorandum to Pb Governor and urged him to order CBI and ED probes in the Rs 500 crore scam committed by the AAP govt in Punjab through its “tailor-made” excise policy framed in line with Delhi policy, which has already been found illegal and case has been registered by CBI,” he tweeted.
The Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi is facing the heat over its now withdrawn excise policy, with the BJP taking on the Kejriwal government and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who heads the Excise Department. (ANI)