Amid the growing rift between the ruling Aam Aadmi Party and the main opposition Congress in Punjab, Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu on Wednesday accused Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann government of using official choppers and fixed-wing aircraft for AAP’s election campaigns in other states.

In a letter to the Secretary, Punjab Civil Aviation Department, Sidhu has sought details of expenditure on the use of a helicopter and a fixed-wing aircraft by the state government during the past one-and-half-year under the Right to Information (RTI).

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The Congress leader said the AAP government in the last one and a half years used the aircraft for election campaigning in Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh and in other states.

Sidhu said: “It has come to notice that the Punjab government on various occasions has used the official state chopper and also hired fixed-wing aircraft for campaigns and tours regarding party affairs. I need information on various accounts under the RTI.”

As the state government has to pay for the financial burden caused by hiring fixed-wing aircraft, I request you to kindly inform me of the following things,” he wrote.

“First, on how many occasions was a private jet hired by the state government in the last one and a half years, where all the aircraft was taken, what was the purpose, and what was the total bill of all the flights and hiring of aircraft, including aircraft rent and airport charges,” the former minister wrote.

It has also been learnt that the state chopper was also used for campaign purposes in various states, the Congress leader said. “I also seek similar information in this regard,” he added.

“As your department is responsible for hiring and paying the expenses, also inform what is the per-hour hiring cost of fixed-wing aircraft,” Sidhu said in the letter to the civil aviation secretary.

Speaking to reporters, Sidhu alleged public money was being spent on luxury sorties and theft of Punjab’s resources was taking place. “They (aircraft) were used for campaigning in Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh and in other states,” he alleged.

Both the AAP and the Congress are alliance partners in the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) formed against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led National Democratic Alliance.

While initially AAP didn’t oppose the alliance with the main Opposition party in Punjab, the ruling party is now opposing the move after a section of Congress leaders in Punjab went public against the alliance.

Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa on Monday predicted AAP government’s fall in two months after Lok Sabha polls and the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann asked the former to “refrain from dreaming about nefarious designs to attain power.”

Bajwa had claimed the Congress was close to forming a government in Punjab as 32 Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) belonging to AAP were in touch with him.