Rs 2 cr to be spent on Bhagwant Mann's swearing-in as Punjab CM, claims Congress

Congress on Sunday claimed that Rs 2 crore will be spent on Bhagwant Mann’s swearing-in as Punjab Chief Minister.

“Bhagwant Mann eager to empty the treasury of Punjab as soon as he arrived. According to sources, more than Rs 2 crore is going to be spent on the oath ceremony of Shri Bhagwant Mann,” said the Congress.

Congress MLA from Bholath Sukhpal Singh Khaira also alleged that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is using government machinery and for Arvind Kejriwal's road-show in Amritsar. He called it a a "gross misuse of public exchequer".

Taking to Twitter, he wrote, "I thought @AamAadmiParty would work differently as promised but unfortunately its first action of misusing govt transport for its party rally at Amritsar today has shown they’re no different than traditional parties." "This is gross misuse of public exchequer for politically motivated party promotion which is totally unacceptable at a time when we’re burdened with a colossal debt of over 3 lac crores. I urge @ArvindKejriwal to deposit this people’s money back in the treasury," he added.

Meanwhile, the AAP today said that Bhagwant Mann alone will take oath on March 16 at the freedom fighter Bhagat Singh's native village Khatkar Kalan while 16 ministers would be sworn in later.

Sources told news agency PTI that the party has decided that only Mann will take oath since the swearing-in is taking place at a special and historic location. They also added that the Cabinet will shortly be expanded with the swearing-in of 16 other ministers.

Notably, Mann has invited Kejriwal to the oath-taking ceremony.

The AAP supremo is on a day-long visit to Amritsar where he is taking part in a roadshow to express gratitude to the people of the state for giving the party a two-third majority in Punjab.

Mann and Kejriwal visited Jallianwala Bagh todayand paid floral tribute at the memorial ahead of the roadshow in Amritsar.

Before visiting the memorial, two senior AAP leaders visited Golden Temple to seek blessings.

(With PTI inputs)

Published on: Sunday, March 13, 2022, 04:58 PM IST