Opposition flays Punjab CM over his absence from President’s reception event

AAP government is inherently anarchist since they don’t even respect the highest constitutional chair, says Partap Singh Bajwa

A day after Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit criticised Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann over the latter’s absence from civic reception that he had hosted for President Droupadi Murmu, the Opposition parties on Sunday took a dig at the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and its leaders.

On October 8, Mr. Purohit took exception of Mr. Mann skipping the reception held for the President during her visit to Chandigarh. Unhappy with Mr. Mann’s absence, the Governor had said that “it was important to fulfil one’s constitutional responsibility”. Following this, Cabinet Minister Aman Arora reacted sharply, terming the remark as ‘uncalled for’ and urged the Governor “to restrain from making such statements in the future”.

Mr. Mann was on October 8 campaigning for the upcoming Assembly election in Gujarat for his party along with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

Mr. Arora said that Mr. Mann’s event was scheduled and he had deputed him to receive and welcome President Droupadi Murmu during her visit in the Chandigarh. “I along with seven other Cabinet Ministers and all senior bureaucrats attended the event to celebrate Air Force Day today. However, the Governor made this unfortunate remarks against CM,” he said in a statement.

Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa, who is also the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, expressed his anguish over the Chief Minister’s absence and said the AAP government is inherently anarchist since they don’t even respect the highest constitutional chair.

“Not only the Governor of Punjab but the entire Opposition condemned Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for not rendering his ‘constitutional obligations’. It seems that the Chief Minister does not believe in the established principles of the Constitution,” he said on Sunday.

Terming the Chief Minister’s absence as ‘unfortunate’, Punjab BJP State president Ashwani Sharma said Mr. Mann’s absence from the event shows a complete neglect and an act of irresponsibility towards performing constitutional responsibilities by the Chief Minister.