Punjab CM deplaned in Frankfurt; AAP trashes 'drunk' allegations
Darpan News Desk IANS, 19 Sep, 2022 03:11 PM
Chandigarh, Sep 19 (IANS) Punjab Chief Minister and AAP leader Bhagwant Mann was deplaned in Frankfurt from a Delhi-bound Lufthansa flight as he was "too drunk to walk".
However, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has refuted the allegations against Mann, saying the Chief Minister returned to Delhi as per schedule.
According to media reports, Mann, who was on a eigh-day trip to Germany till September 18, delayed his departure as he was reportedly in 'an inebriated state'.
However, AAP has strongly denied the charge, saying Mann was not deplaned at the Frankfurt airport. The party termed it as false and frivolous propaganda by political rivals.
A passenger in the flight said in a message, "The CM was not steady on his feet as he had imbibed excessive alcohol and had to be supported by his wife/security."
"Our political opponents are spreading these rumours to defame our CM. They cannot digest that Mann is working hard to bring investments to Punjab. The CM returned as per schedule," the party's chief spokesperson in Punjab, Malwinder Singh Kang, told the media here.
Officials in the Chief Minister's Office claimed that Mann could not board the flight because of emergent health concerns.
Responding to the allegations, Cabinet ministers Kuldeep Dhaliwal and Meet Hayer told the media, "Anyone can have health issues. The Opposition does not have any issue to talk about. That is why they are highlighting this issue which is meaningless and fake."
With many different versions doing the rounds, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal said the reports of the Chief Minister being deplaned from a Lufthansa flight as he was "too drunk to walk" have "embarrassed and shamed Punjabis all over the globe".
"Disturbing media reports quoting co-passengers say Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was deplaned from a Lufthansa flight as he was too drunk to walk. And it led to a 4-hour flight delay. He missed AAP's national convention. These reports have embarrassed & shamed Punjabis all over the globe," Badal tweeted.
He also said that AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal should come clean on the issue.
Badal asked the Indian government to raise the issue with its German counterpart if Mann was deplaned in Frankfurt.
"Shockingly, Punjab government is mum over these reports involving Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. Arvind Kejriwal needs to come clean on this issue. The Government of India must step in as this involves Punjabi and national pride. If he was deplaned, GoI must raise the issue with its German counterpart," Badal tweeted.
Setting aside the charges, AAP's director of media communication, Chander Suta Dogra, said Mann was a little unwell.
Meanwhile, Mann went to Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal's official residence upon his arrival in New Delhi amid the brewing row on Monday.
The Lufthansa Group in a statement said the flight departed late due to "a delayed inbound flight and an aircraft change".
"Our flight from Frankfurt to Delhi departed later than originally planned due to a delayed inbound flight and an aircraft change," it said in a statement.
It added, "For data protection reasons, we do not provide any information regarding individual passengers."
Majithia told the media here that this was also necessary because the AAP government had neither made the FIR registered in this case public even after 24 hours, nor taken any action against any BJP leader or middlemen involved.
The matter came to the fore after the victim narrated the ordeal to her parents who rescued her and later approached the Women police station at Gurugram's Sector-51 and registered a case against the accused on Wednesday. The victim told the police that she had met Pooja at a Gurugram mall a month ago. Pooja had offered her a job at a doctor's clinic.
The local people and Bishal's family members claimed that he was found with multiple wounds on Wednesday. It is alleged that Bishal was killed for not agreeing to convert to Christianity in order to marry his tribal girlfriend. Though the police are yet to confirm whether the youth was killed or committed suicide, they have arrested five people in connection with the case.
According to a source with the Ministry, the diplomats see it as a question of credibility and said that such tall claims should be avoided as it hurts the credibility of the country and the government too. The source said that it has left the diplomats embarrassed.
During the intervening night of September 13 and 14, on a specific intelligence input, the ICG strategically deployed two fast interceptor class of ships, C-408 and C-454 for patrolling in areas close to the IMBL. During midnight, the Pakistani boat was observed moving suspiciously in Indian waters, 5 nm inside notional IMBL and 40 nm from Jakhau.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal said on Wednesday that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab is raking up the Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan cases purely to divert people's attention from its 'scandals'. The SAD chief, who was questioned by the SIT regarding the Kotkapura firing case which occurred in 2015, said all police actions are part of a laid down procedure.
