Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced on Wednesday that he is scheduled to meet President Droupadi Murmu on May 5 in connection with the merger of seven Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha members with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Mann had earlier sought an appointment with the President for a meeting along with party MLAs to demand the "recall" of the state's Rajya Sabha MPs who joined the BJP.
Meeting Details and Legal Context
Replying to a question, Mann said the appointment was at 12 pm. "I will definitely go," he stated. When questioned if there was a legal provision for such a recall, the Chief Minister maintained he would "go and have a talk with the President." On April 24, AAP MPs Raghav Chadha, Sandeep Pathak, Ashok Mittal, Harbhajan Singh, Vikramjit Singh Sahney, Rajinder Gupta, and Swati Maliwal announced their move to the BJP. The defectors framed the transition as a "merger" under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, which requires a two-thirds majority of a party's legislative group to avoid disqualification. While legal experts note there is no constitutional provision for an explicit "recall" mechanism in current parliamentary law, the proposed meeting is seen as a concerted effort by AAP to challenge the defections.
Delegation and Political Reactions
Party sources had earlier indicated that Mann will be accompanied by a delegation of AAP MLAs from Punjab, who constitute the original electorate responsible for electing the state's Rajya Sabha representatives. The meeting at Rashtrapati Bhavan follows Mann's request for an audience to address what he viewed as a violation of the legislative mandate by the defecting lawmakers. Responding to BJP leader Ashwani Sharma objecting to his dubbing of defecting MPs as "gaddar" (traitors), Mann said, "Those who misused people's mandate will obviously be called gaddar." To another question about whether he will undertake a ‘Shukrana Yatra' for the passage of the anti-sacrilege bill, Mann replied, "No plan has yet been made in this regard."
Other Developments: Deportation from Australia
Mann also addressed other issues, including the deportation of 15 Indians from Australia, among whom 11 are from Punjab. Two are from Telangana, and one each from Haryana and Uttarakhand. Out of the 11 from Punjab, one is a woman. "We will receive them at the Delhi airport," Mann said. When asked about their deportation, Mann explained that they were facing criminal cases in Australia. "If you break the law there, this would happen. They will deport you. Our people should also introspect about their conduct," he commented.
Foodgrain Storage and Rail Track Blast
On the shortage of space for foodgrains in the state, Mann said that after his meeting with Pralhad Joshi, Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, 290 special trains were run to move out stocks from the state. "It will create adequate space for paddy procurement later this year, and there will be no shortage of space," he assured. Regarding the blast on a freight rail track in Patiala on Monday night, Mann stated that police teams were in touch with central teams as well. Police have already arrested four persons in this regard. "Further probe is underway to avert such incidents in the future," he added.
Party Meetings and Routine Activities
To a question about MLAs and functionaries attending a meeting chaired by AAP state in-charge Manish Sisodia in Jalandhar, Mann clarified that it was a meeting of the party's observers. "Such meetings of the party organisation keep happening. I am not even going there," he said, dismissing any speculation about internal discord.
