Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced on Monday that he would meet President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday to present his party's stance on the recent defection of seven Rajya Sabha MPs—six of whom represent Punjab—to the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Recall Demand and Constitutional Argument
Mann had previously sought an appointment with the President to formally demand the "recall" of the six rebel MPs. He argued that these members had lost the moral and democratic mandate of the Punjab MLAs who elected them. The President's office granted time for Mann alone, but he stated that he would travel with his MLAs, who would wait outside Rashtrapati Bhawan while he presents his case. Many AAP MLAs from distant areas of the state had already reached Chandigarh by Monday evening.
During the confidence motion moved by the ruling party in the assembly, 88 AAP MLAs were present. Two AAP MLAs were abroad, two were lodged in jail, and two were hospitalized.
Response to Opposition and Legal Actions
Replying to a question about Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha also securing an appointment with the President for Tuesday, Mann told media persons in Mohali, "Everyone has the right to meet the President. Tomorrow at 12 o'clock, I too will meet the President and I will go and explain everything from my side." Asked about the opposition's charge of misuse of power by the AAP government, Mann said, "If someone has joined the BJP, it doesn't mean he is above the law. They will have to face the law even if they make mistakes in the future. The BJP can give them security in other states, but Punjab won't do so."
The opposition has accused the state government of tightening the screws on the defectors, citing reports of two FIRs registered against Sandeep Pathak under non-bailable sections, the withdrawal of security cover for former cricketer Harbhajan Singh, and a pollution control raid on the business premises of MP Rajinder Gupta.
Confidence Motion and Anti-Defection Law
Earlier, Mann characterized the exodus as a "treachery" against the people of Punjab. On Friday, the AAP government won a confidence motion in the state assembly to signal that the Mann-led government remains stable despite the desertions in the Rajya Sabha. Mann stated he would carry a copy of the confidence motion and demand a constitutional provision for recall. "Punjab will be the first state to demand a stricter anti-defection law or recall provision from the President," he had said on Friday.
