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Journalism of Courage
Ever since Bhagwant Mann took over as the chief minister of Punjab, he has been accused of running a “subservient government” directly under the control of the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) top leadership in Delhi. These accusations are now set to intensify after the Punjab government earlier this week announced the setting up of a temporary advisory committee the terms of which are such that it can be led by a parliamentarian.
Mann first invited criticism from the Opposition when he sent state government bureaucrats to meet Kejriwal on April 12. He also took them along for a meeting in Delhi on April 25. That was when the Opposition first alleged that the state administration was being run using a “remote control” from the national Capital. There was Opposition blowback again on April 26 when they signed a knowledge-sharing agreement with the Delhi government to “learn and share knowledge, experience and skills with each other for the welfare of the public”.
The notification fuelled speculation that the government was preparing to install AAP national leader Raghav Chadha as the committee’s chairperson. Chadha, who was co-in-charge of Punjab AAP ahead of the elections, was elected to the Rajya Sabha from the state. The Congress alleged that if it happened Chadha might “eventually end up as the de facto chief minister” of Punjab.
Questions have been raised about the role and the ambit of the body, given that its chairperson will be a part of official meetings and advise the government. “Chief Minister of Punjab has undertaken a review of the working of government at various levels and is of the view that a body (temporary in nature) is required to tender advice to the Government of Punjab on matters of public importance pertaining to Public Administration. Therefore, it has been decided to constitute a temporary Committee to advise the Government of State of Punjab on matters of public importance pertaining to Public Administration as and when such advice is sought from it,” read the notification.
Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring asked the government to “specify and spell out the motive and purpose behind this committee”, saying that the Mann government was trying to “outsource the governance to an ad hoc committee without any legal or constitutional mandate”.
Leader of the Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa also claimed that the body was aimed at appointing Chadha the “regent of Punjab”.
“This means the Chief Minister is incapable of protecting the interests of every Punjabi. Now, the AAP government in Delhi will have a legitimate way to take control of Punjab, further reinforcing the perception that Bhagwant Mann is a subservient puppet of the Delhi Chief Minister,” he said.
A Punjab government spokesperson quickly hit back, saying that the allegations were “purely manufactured, motivated and without any basis”.
