On Wednesday, Partap Singh Bajwa, a Congress leader and the Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly, strongly criticized Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, suggesting that Mann should display pictures of Adolf Hitler in his office. Bajwa went on to recommend the removal of images of BR Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh from Mann's offices, contending that Mann does not adhere to the ideals of these revered figures.
It is noteworthy that the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) are political allies within the INDIA mega Opposition bloc. Bajwa's statement, however, contradicts the political alliance between the Congress and the AAP, particularly in the context of their collaboration in the upcoming Chandigarh mayoral polls scheduled for Thursday.
In response to Bajwa's criticism, AAP MP Raghav Chadha emphasized that the INDIA bloc is gearing up to challenge the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the first time in the elections.
The mayoral race will see AAP's Kuldeep Kumar Tita as the candidate for the mayor's seat, while Congress nominees Gurpreet Singh Gabi and Nirmala Devi will vie for the positions of senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor, respectively.
This decision to contest the polls jointly comes amid calls from leaders within both parties to independently contest Lok Sabha seats in Punjab without forming an alliance.
It is noteworthy that Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring and other party leaders were present when Partap Singh Bajwa made the critical remark against Bhagwant Mann.
Bajwa's accusation of the AAP government practicing "dictatorial governance" comes on the heels of party MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira's release from jail after being granted bail in a criminal intimidation case. Khaira had been arrested on January 4 in connection with the intimidation case, following his bail approval by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in a 2015 drugs case.
