Big day ‘reunites’ father Mann with his children
AAP's proud moment in Punjab was also an emotional one for Mann as he was reunited with his children after almost four years, a close friend of the new CM told The Indian Express.
4 min read
Bhagwant Mann with kids at his swearing in ceremony (Express photo)In the wave of yellow that swept Khatkar Kalan Wednesday were two special guests who had flown all the way from the US to attend the swearing-in ceremony.
As Mann took oath of office as CM, in the family’s corner inside the pandal were his two children – daughter Seerat Kaur Mann (21) and son Dilshan Mann (17) – sitting with their grandmother and basking in the glory of their father’s achievement.
AAP’s proud moment in Punjab was also an emotional one for Mann as he was reunited with his children after almost four years, a close friend of the new CM told The Indian Express.
Mann’s Children with another family member. (Express photo)
Seerat and Dilshan had flown in from the US on Tuesday late. After reaching Bhagat Singh’s ancestral village, they sat away from media glare inside the pandal supporting yellow stoles as they watched their father take the oath of office. It was only later, the moment of picture-perfect finish to Mann’s big day came as the three met and clicked photos.
Mann’s ex-wife, Inderpreet Kaur, however, did not attend the ceremony. Speaking to The Indian Express from the US, she said: “Both our children– Seerat Mann and Dilshan Mann– attended Bhagwant’s swearing-in ceremony at Khatkar Kalan. Both children were overwhelmed and very excited. They still need some time to let this feeling sink-in.”
Bhagwant Mann and Inderpreet Kaur had separated in 2015. The couple’s children had shifted to the US with their mother, while Mann had continued toiling hard for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab.
In 2014, Inderpreet was the backbone of Mann’s campaign for Lok Sabha polls that year and used to campaign for him in villages of Sangrur from where Mann was elected as AAP MP for the first time in 2014. However, in 2015, the couple filed for divorce.
Calling Mann’s rise to CM’s chair as a ‘very positive’ news, she said that he was “always in her prayers and will continue to be”.
“I always worked hard for his success but behind the curtains. I have never said anything bad for him from my side. He was always in my prayers for all these years and will always continue to be. Yes, there was physical distance, but that doesn’t mean we were not praying for his success. It’s just that I was busy here in the US with my work and studies of our children,” Inderpreet, who hails from Ludhiana’s Barewal, told The Indian Express.
Bhagwan Mann’s mother Harpal Kaur and both children in background.(Express photo)
While Mann’s mother and sister were often seen by his side during run-up to Punjab polls, during his interviews, the then CM face for AAP would regularly express the pain of “returning to an empty home after work”.
He would also express love for his children through his social media posts and wish them on their birthdays. “I love you and miss you..,” Mann would write often for his children on Facebook in several posts.
In a Facebook post, he had once recalled how his daughter had remained on a ventilator immediately after birth due to an injury to the head and had become difficult for him to live through those difficult days when she was critical.
During his divorce proceedings, Mann had claimed that he had chosen his ‘Punjab family over his own family’.
The comedian-turned-politician had described his divorce as: “Jo latkeyan si chiran to o hal ho gaya, Court ch eh faisla kal ho gaya.. ek passey si parivaar, dujey passey si parivaar.. main taan yaaron Punjab de vall ho gaya…( A long pending issue has been solved. The court has decided. I had to choose between my two families. I have chosen Punjab).”
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