As the 92 AAP MLA led by the chief minister Bhagwant Mann took oath as legislator in Punjab Vidhan Sabha on Thursday, AAP MLA from Nabha (SC Reserve) Gurdev Singh Dev Mann hogged the limelight and grabbed eyeballs as he travelled 80 kilometers one way from Nabha to Chandigarh on a bicycle to swear in. A singer and an actor by profession, Mann has declined to take MLA salary and has announced he could take a token amount of Rupeeone per month as legislator. Mann has also refused to have any security detail as an MLA. Talking to The Indian Express, Mann said he was a “permanent resident” of Canada, having spent around 14 years there and hence ‘subscribed to the ideology of working for self’. Mann said his wife Nga Thi Thanh Duong is a Canadian citizen and was on her way to reach Punjab on Friday. Mann said Duong basically hailed from Vietnam. He told this paper that in most of the urban areas of Nabha, he campaigned on bi-cycle itself during the elections and that he developed love for cycling few years ago where he would traverse a number of kilometers. Later in the day, he said he was cycling his way back to Nabha and would continue to prefer coming to Vidhan Sabha on cycle. Dev Mann had contested unsuccessfully from Nabha in 2017 and said after losing he was allegedly subjected to couple of police cases by the ruling Congress government. “I struggled a lot to get a rented accommodation as people feared they will also be booked in false cases. Eventually, I managed to get one room accommodation in Nabha,” said Mann, who declared Rs 15 lakh as movable assets. His wife wife, as per the affidavit has movable assets of Rs 38 lakhs. As per the affidavit, the couple doesn’t have any immovable assets, nor do they own any vehicle. In the affidavit, Mann mentioned his profession as singer and of wife as a businessperson in Canada. “I would say, one should use cycle for commuting. It helps in good health. Cycle keeps one grounded. Ask Captain Amarinder Singh and five time CM Parkash Singh Badal who deserted the ground and what people did to them,” said Mann. He added that after his remarks Parkash Singh Badal requested Punjab government that he (Senior Badal) did not want pension and the same should be used for the welfare of people, especially the education of girl students. A class 12 pass out from a government school in 1988, Mann resumed his studies and is currently pursuing graduation from Lovely Professional University, as per his affidavit.
