Describing the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as twin faces of the same coin, the Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday said the ‘confidence motion’ in the state assembly has been necessitated as both the parties have joined hands to topple the democratically elected government.
“BJP is using anti-defection law as a new tool to form governments in the states through back doors in the country and unfortunately despite being its worst victim the Congress is supporting it”, said the CM while introducing the Confidence Motion in Punjab Assembly even as the opposition parties protested.
Mann said BJP has toppled the elected governments in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka and others by luring the Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs). He, however, said they failed in their sinister moves thrice in Delhi and now also in Punjab they are trying to ‘poach’ the MLAs with money. He said BJP is running behind a mirage with an aim to garner power in the state and in this attempt they are using pennies to purchase aces of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
The CM said BJP is using its moneybags to cause an irreparable loss to democracy and in the past, Congress has done the same and now the saffron party is following its footsteps.
Citing an example of connivance amongst Congress and BJP, Mann said Congress leadership has started ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ from Kanyakumari to Kashmir but the poll bound states of Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh have been deliberately excluded to give benefit to the BJP.
The CM said the AAP has set a new agenda of public welfare in politics. He said due to this the BJP leadership has been forced to shun its divisive agenda and talk about the well being of people. Mann said it is the AAP effect that the leaders who had divided the people are now seen inaugurating schools, colleges and hospitals.
The CM said turncoats are ruling the roost now and former Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, who had tacitly towed the line of BJP during his stint, has now formally joined the party. Training his guns against former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, he said that for the first time any CM face of a political party has gone missing after defeat in polls.
The CM said in democracy, government is of the people, for the people and by the people but BJP and Congress are trying to insult the mandate of people through ‘Operation Lotus’. The CM said this reflects the bankruptcy of Congress which has now gone to the extent of even selling their MLAs.