Days after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of trying to topple its government in Punjab through ‘Operation Lotus,’ Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday decided to convene a special session of the Vidhan Sabha on September 22 to seek the confidence of the people of the state.
“The people of the state have given the thumping majority to our government but some forces inimical to democratic values are trying to lure our MLAs with money. So we have decided to seek the confidence from the people of the state in this special session,” said Chief Minister Mann.
Chief Minister Mann said that AAP MLAs are non purchasable as they are committed to the ideology of the party. He said that nefarious attempts to destabilise the government had failed in Punjab too as the party MLAs are loyal to the people of the state.
The CM said that this special session will clear the mystery regarding the conspiracy to topple a democratically elected government in Punjab. He said that fraudulent practice of horse trading has crashed in Punjab as the MLAs have foiled the nefarious attempts to destabilise their government.
Mann said that all the parties had tried to lure the voters with money during the state assembly polls but the people stood with the AAP and elected these MLAs. He said that now these MLAs will repose their confidence in the progress of Punjab and prosperity of its people.
The CM said that these MLAs are loyal to the party, the people and the state, adding that they will never sell their conscience for a few pennies. He asked the anti-Punjab forces to stop daydreaming about toppling the elected government in Punjab as Punjabis will never forgive them for this sin.
The AAP on September 13 accused the BJP of trying to topple its government in Punjab through ‘Operation Lotus.’ Senior AAP leader and Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema had alleged that leaders and agents of the BJP from Delhi and Punjab had over phone approached at least 10 MLAs of the AAP and offered Rs 25 crore each to quit the AAP and join the BJP.
The BJP, however, alleges the AAP has failed to keep its promises which were done at the time of Punjab elections and the party is now trying to distract the public by making such statements against the BJP.
The BJP has even demanded a probe by a retired judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court into the allegation made by the AAP regarding money being offered to AAP legislators by the saffron party in order to make them join the BJP.