Why BJP Feels It Should Rule Everywhere, Asks Punjab CM

Calling BJP ‘arrogant’ Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday asked why it has a feeling that it should have a government everywhere. He also hit out at the Congress, accusing it of being in cahoots with the BJP.

CM Mann on Tuesday moved a confidence motion in the state Assembly, two days after Governor Banwarilal Purohit gave his nod to convene it.

The Governor's assent had come following days of squabble between the Raj Bhavan and the AAP government over holding a session.

AAP had recently claimed that at least 10 of its MLAs were approached by the BJP with an offer of Rs 25 crore each in a bid to topple the six-month-old government under its "operation lotus".

Earlier, the Governor had withdrawn permission to hold a special session on September 22 to bring a confidence motion only.

The motion was moved after the Congress MLAs were marshalled out for disrupting the proceedings while the BJP legislators had walked out of the House.

Speaking after moving the motion, Mann said, “Trust vote means that people have expressed faith in us and we want to tell it in a legal way that people's trust is with us.”

“The confidence motion came because we have faith in people and three crore people of Punjabis have faith in us,” said Mann.

Mann said they thought that the Congress would support AAP after the money was offered to its MLAs as the party too had faced such situations.

But they went completely opposite to it, saying no session should be allowed, said Mann. “It means the Congress is supporting the operation lotus in Punjab. They could have cast votes against the trust vote, but why did they run away,” he said.

Targeting the BJP over an alleged bid to topple his government, Mann said the party has found a new way to get around the anti-defection law as he cited Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra states. “They have become arrogant,” alleged Mann.

He said the AAP MLAs in Punjab received calls, offering money for toppling the government. “Why do they have this feeling that the (BJP) government should be everywhere,” he asked.

“They run after 'mrigtrishna' (mirage)…BJP has become the victim of 'mrigtrishna',” said Mann.

He said the BJP tried to buy MLAs in Delhi also. “Our MLAs are not for sale in the market,” said Mann. “I have full faith in my 91 soldiers (AAP MLAs)," Mann added.

We have to bring the confidence motion because they have started buying trust, alleged Mann. The CM accused the BJP of using money to “cause an irreparable loss to democracy”.

In the past, the Congress has done the same and now the party is following its footsteps, he alleged.

Citing an example of “connivance” between the Congress and the BJP, Mann said the Congress leadership started its “Bharat Jodo Yatra” from Kanyakumari to Kashmir but the poll-bound states of Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh have been “deliberately excluded to give benefit to the BJP”. Stating that the Aam Aadmi Party has set a new agenda of public welfare in politics, Mann said due to this, the BJP leadership has been forced to shun its “divisive” agenda and talk about the well-being of people.

It is the AAP effect that the leaders who had divided the people are now seen inaugurating schools, colleges and hospitals, said Mann while targeting the BJP-leadership.