'Bhawant Mann came drunk to Punjab Assembly', claims Opposition, demands alcohol test of AAP MLAs

Opposition parties accused the CM of being inebriated as he addressed the assembly and demanded a dope test of all AAP MLAs.

Controversy erupted inside Punjab Assembly after the Opposition alleged that the state CM Bhagwant Mann came drunk to the state assembly. Opposition party members including the Congress accused the CM of being inebriated as he addressed the assembly during the special Labour Day session.

Taking note of his unusual behaviour, Congress member and leader of opposition Partap Singh Bajwa demanded a closed door alcohol test of all MLAs. As a sign of protest, the Congress MLAs also staged a walkout.

Former AAP MP Swati Maliwal, who recently defected to the BJP, also shared a video of Mann speaking in Parliament and accused him of showing up drunk "at the temple of democracy."

"Today, once again, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann has arrived at the temple of democracy, the Punjab Legislative Assembly, completely intoxicated with alcohol," Maliwal posted.

"This man goes to the Gurdwara Sahib after drinking, goes to the temple after drinking, used to come to the Lok Sabha after drinking, goes to government meetings after drinking, and drank so much abroad that he was deplaned," she further wrote.

The Shiromani Akali Dal also condemned Mann's alleged drinking episode, calling it "a matter of great shame." The party even called a dope test for the CM and all AAP MLAs.

"It is a matter of great shame that Bhagwant Mann showed up drunk with alcohol in the hallowed chamber of the Vidhan Sabha on the occasion of 'Labour Day' today!" the party posted on X.

"You can see for yourselves how the Chief Minister is behaving in the Vidhan Sabha! The Shiromani Akali Dal strongly condemns the Chief Minister's conduct, and he should not have come after drinking on this day! The Shiromani Akali Dal demands that the Chief Minister undergo a dope test today in front of the entire Punjab so that Punjabis too can know the truth!"

Punjab AAP President and Cabinet Minister Aman Arora rejected the dope test demand saying the allegations by Congress are "baseless and frivolous."

"The special session called by the Punjab government under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is aimed at honouring the hard work and contribution of labourers, acknowledging their efforts and paying respect to their toil," Arora told PTI.

"The Congress has been making baseless and frivolous remarks, which is unfortunate and amounts to adding salt to the wounds of workers and undermining the dignity of the House," he added.