‘Not going anywhere’: Bhagwant Mann puts speculation about change in guard in Punjab to rest

“Will they now seek pardon from their viewers? They always give wrong titles and thumbnails. Now, when I will stay, will they seek forgiveness? Do I not know? I am also from this line only. They keep saying I have said this, while I have never given any statements that they air. Maybe they have a chip fixed in my brain…,” he added.

Recalling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal’s statement during his visit to Golden Temple in Amritsar in February this year, when he had put similar chatter to rest, Mann said, “Kejriwal had said this in front of Golden Temple that I will stay (as Punjab CM). Now, will they seek forgiveness? All they do is sit in front of the camera in the morning and peddle such information to get views. Beware of these Facebook intellectuals. Now, they are cheating their own viewers. Now, when I will stay and someone else will not become the CM, then they will say I was to be removed. They keep saying something or the other.”

Mann said that AAP does not have groups. “We have no groups. Kejriwal, despite being a diabetic, was on a fast unto death for 25 days. We have formed a party after hunger strikes. The party has borne out of an anti-corruption movement. We have no groups. People are our groups. Tell me which group I am in? Which is Kejriwal’s group? Those who were here to form groups have gone back. They are now on the other side,” he said.

Quipping that he knows their background, Mann said, “You must have heard about ex-serviceman, ex-teacher and so on, but have you heard about former journalist, former smuggler, former drug addict, former gangster? Beware of these people. They can say anything for views. If they have to say something about the BJP, then they keep quiet. They are scared of ED (Enforcement Directorate). I do not want to do anything of this sort to them. I let them be. I know they cannot create any perception. Even their family members would not vote as per their direction. There are 4-5 of them.”

Mann was referring to his known critics, including Malvinder Singh Mali, Mintu Gurusariya and Lakha Sidhana. Mali is a former advisor of Navjot Singh Sidhu, when he was the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee chief. He was arrested by the Punjab Police in September 2024 for posting defamatory content on his social media. Gurusariya (Baljinder Singh Sandhu) is a former drug addict-cum-gangster from Gurusar Jodha village in the Lambi Assembly segment. Sidhana is a gangster-turned-activist who unsuccessfully contested the Bathinda Lok Sabha elections in 2024 on a Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) ticket.

‘They forget Pahalgam and Pulwama’

On the Asia Cup cricket match between India and Pakistan on Sunday, Mann hit out at the BJP-led Centre, saying, “Diljit Dosanjh was branded a traitor when his movie with a Pakistani actor was to be released. Now, the match is being played because “bade Sahib da beta ICC da pardhan hai (Because big boss’s son is ICC president),” he said without naming Union Home Minister Amit Shah, whose son Jay Shah is chairman of the International Cricket Council.

“In this scenario, they forget Pahalgam and Pulwama. Was the Ahmedabad match not conducted? Two teams play a match; the match is with them (Pakistan). They should make it clear that sports and culture will be separate from the relationship between the two countries…It is a mockery with us. We share a culture with Pakistan. They come and perform here. Singers like Arif Lohar come here to sing at weddings. We lost 10 lakh people during Partition. We lost our grandparents. Vehicles full of bodies used to come on this side of the border and vice versa. Should we do whatever they want us to do?” Mann asked.

Mann also took on Ravneet Bittu, Minister of State for Railways and Food Processing Industries, for responding to his challenge for a debate. “Will I debate with Ravneet Bittu? I told him to get a railway overbridge at Dhuri; he said he cannot do it. I then asked him what kind of minister he is. He can get a cold drink vending machine at the railway stations. They give such ministries to these people. They do not listen to these people. They know these people were not even sincere…They made Jyotiraditya Scindia the aviation minister after selling all aircrafts,” Mann said.