AAP's oath-taking of Punjab cabinet in Bhagat Singh's ancestral village
Darpan News Desk IANS, 10 Mar, 2022 12:58 PM
Chandigarh, March 10 (IANS) After the historic victory of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab, Bhagwant Mann on Thursday said the oath-taking of the state's new cabinet would be held in martyr Bhagat Singh's ancestral village.
Addressing the people outside his house in Sangrur, Mann thanked all the Punjabis, and said: "You have fulfilled your responsibility very well, now it is my turn to fulfil the responsibility."
"We have good intentions and that is why the people of Punjab have trusted us. Trust me, change will be visible in a month. Now you will not have to go to offices of government employees. Government officers won't hinder your works by making excuses. Now the public servants will come to your houses and localities to do their job."
Taking a jibe at the opposition parties, Mann said they abused "us, tried to defame us. But we have forgiven everyone, provided they start respecting the three and a half crore Punjabis now".
Mann, who won the Dhuri seat with a margin of 58,206 votes, said during the Congress-Akali Dal governments, decisions regarding Punjab used to be taken in Moti Mahal, Siswan farm house and big 'havelis'.
"Now the government of Punjab will run from villages and mohallas."
Mann said those who did not vote for "us need not have any kind of doubt or fear. I am their chief minister too. I have the same love and empathy towards everyone. We will work make Punjab prosperous again".
Mann said he was worried about unemployment. "Unemployed youth are forced to go abroad or struck in the quagmire of drugs. Punjab keeps losing money and talent due to expensive higher education and lack of employment. After assuming the responsibility of Chief Minister, on the very first day itself, I will use my position to eradicate unemployment from Punjab.
"We are committed to provide adequate opportunities and employment in Punjab."
Mann reiterated that the pictures of the Chief Minister and leaders will not be in the government offices of Punjab. Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh and Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar's pictures will be displayed in government offices.
"Bhagat Singh fought for our freedom and sacrificed his life and after independence Baba Saheb gave us the right to freedom and equality by writing the constitution of the country. It is our duty to follow their values and fulfil their dreams."
Mann concluded that he is proud of Punjabis who are keeping alive the revolution of Bhagat Singh.
"As a Punjabi, it is our duty to follow the path of Bhagat Singh and give him respect. Earlier chief ministers of Punjab used to take oath at the Raj Bhavan. I will take oath as Chief Minister at the village of Bhagat Singh, Khatkar Kalan," he said.
Mann's mother Harpal Kaur got emotional.
Before Mann, his younger sister Manpreet Kaur and his mother Harpal Kaur addressed the gathering and thanked the people for electing Mann as the Chief Minister.
Addressing the people, Mann's mother Harpal Kaur hugged Mann and got emotional.
Rising from the ashes like the phoenix, the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP, in a maiden emphatic win, crushed the traditional players that ruled the border state of Punjab for over seven decades with its stunning victory largely by its greenhorns on 92 of the 117 seats of the legislative assembly.
The minister and his son are accused in the October 3 incident in which nine persons, including four farmers, were mowed down by SUVs. The minister's son Ashish Mishra has already been arrested.
It's likely that Sidhu will put forth the list of demands in the Punjab government as he is upset with the appointments in the government. He has resigned from the post of state president, but it has not been accepted yet by Sonia Gandhi. The meeting gains significance as it comes ahead of the CWC meeting.
The civil secretariat houses the top offices of the government, including those of the Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha and his advisors. Police tried to intervene to restrain the mourners from carrying out the sit-in outside the civil secretariat.
"My son will go to the police tomorrow and assist the probe. He has not escaped anywhere," Mishra said on his arrival in Lucknow. He said that his son was very much in their house in Lakhimpur.
Punjab Congress President Navjot Singh Sidhu on Friday proceeded on indefinite fast in support of his demand for action against Ashish Mishra, the son of Union Minister Ajay Mishra and main accused in Sunday's violence in which nine persons, including four farmers, were killed.
Following a tipoff, the DRI sleuths swooped on the port on October 4 and detected the huge narcotics contraband, valued at Rs 125 crore, among boxes of a cooking oil container arriving from Iran and are now probing the possibility of a bigger drug smuggling racket with international ramifications for India and other countries.
