Mann should replace photos of freedom fighters in his office with Hitler: Punjab LoP rails against CM

CHANDIGARH: In a blistering attack on Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa on Thursday said he should remove the framed photographs of freedom fighters that adorn his office and replace them with that of German military dictator Adolf Hitler.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, the Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly said, "Arvind Kejriwal compares some of his leaders, who are in jail with freedom fighters and while calling ours dishonest. As long as (former Congress leader) Sukhpal Singh Khaira was with Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann, he was clean. Now that he is with us, he has suddenly become dishonest."

Khaira was recently arrested in connection with a 2015 drug case. However, in a relief to the Congress, he was later granted bail.

The salvo by the LoP at the ruling party comes at a time when the AAP and the Congress, which are partners in the Opposition bloc INDIA, are reported to be in negotiations for the seat-sharing deal in the national capital ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

"I want to tell Bhagwant Mann that he is not going to remain chief minister all his life. I would also advise him to remove the framed photos of freedom fighters in his office and replace them with one of Adolf Hitler," Bajwa said, in a scathing takedown of the CM.

He added that he would write the names of corrupt government officials in 'red ink' on a blackboard outside the Congress building "so that everyone knows about them".

Bajwa's remarks also risk queering the pitch after the two parties reached an understanding for the Chandigarh mayoral elections on Thursday.

The parties reached a broad understanding earlier, on January 18, to contest the mayoral polls in alliance.

Speaking to reporters after sealing a deal with the Congress for the mayoral polls, AAP MP Raghav Chadha on Tuesday said the elections will mark the first direct contest between the BJP and the INDIA bloc.

Addressing a press conference, Chadha said, "The Chandigarh mayoral polls on January 18 is no ordinary election. It will change the course of politics in the country. We believe that these elections will set the tone for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. It will mark the first time that the INDIA bloc will go into a direct battle with the BJP. It will be the first match featuring BJP against INDIA."

"We are confident of fighting these elections at full strength and registering a historic and decisive victory. The victory chariot of INDIA will not stop at Chandigarh but will roll from Kashmir to Kanyakumari," Chadha added.

A total of 35 councillors are in the fray for the Chandigarh mayoral elections. The BJP, currently, has the votes of 14 councillors and one MP in the civic board while the AAP and Congress have 13 and 7 councillors respectively.

The Shiromani Akali Dal has a lone councillor.

A total of 18 votes are required for a majority in the civic board and the BJP currently leads the tally at 15.

However, if the understanding between the Congress and the ruling AAP holds, the alliance will top the tally and secure a majority with 20 votes.