CHANDIGARH: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday critiqued seven Rajya Sabha members who recently resigned from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) by employing a culinary analogy, suggesting that individually, these leaders hold little significance.
Information was available with The Chenab Times that Mann posted on the social media platform X, writing in Punjabi, “Ginger, garlic, cumin, fenugreek powder, red chilli, black pepper, and coriander – these seven things together make a dish taste great, but on their own, cannot become a dish.” This statement followed his earlier description of the defectors as traitors.
The political development occurred shortly after seven AAP Rajya Sabha members announced their departure from the party to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The MPs who resigned were Raghav Chadha, Sandeep Pathak, Ashok Mittal, Harbhajan Singh, Rajinder Gupta, Swati Maliwal, and Vikramjit Sahney. Chadha stated that the Arvind Kejriwal-led party had deviated from its founding principles, values, and core morals, which prompted his decision to join the BJP, describing their move as a faction merging with the ruling party.
In the immediate aftermath of the significant exodus from the AAP, Chief Minister Mann had accused the BJP of orchestrating attempts to destabilize the Aam Aadmi Party and labelled the departing leaders as betrayers of the people of Punjab. Mann asserted that the BJP’s apprehension had become apparent following the enactment of a stringent law against sacrilege.
The Punjab Chief Minister further contended that none of the seven Rajya Sabha members possessed substantial individual public support or were considered mass leaders. He questioned their political standing by asking if they commanded any vote bank, even in comparison to a village headman or ‘sarpanch’, who typically possesses a local constituency.
Mann attributed the BJP’s actions to its persistent lack of electoral traction in Punjab. He argued that the party, having faced repeated rejections in the state, had resorted to hostility towards both Punjab and the Aam Aadmi Party. According to Mann, the BJP was attempting to undermine a government that espouses corruption-free governance through tactics of intimidation, financial inducements, and engineering defections.
He emphasized that the BJP’s perceived political weakness on the ground in Punjab had compelled it to adopt such strategies. The Chief Minister also pointed to the visible improvements in sectors such as schools, hospitals, road infrastructure, and the employment landscape as factors unsettling the BJP.
❤️ Support Independent Journalism
Your contribution keeps our reporting free, fearless, and accessible to everyone.
Or make a one-time donation
Secure via Razorpay • 12 monthly payments • Cancel anytime before next cycle
(We don't allow anyone to copy content. For Copyright or Use of Content related questions, visit here.)
The Chenab Times News Desk
