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Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann breaks ice with governor Purohit, croons ‘Challa’
The presence of CM Mann, who had given the customary At Home events held at Raj Bhawan on the occasion of Republic Day, Independence Day and other functions a go-by last year, is being seen as his attempt to mend fences with the governor.
Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann broke the ice with governor Banwarilal Purohit with an impromptu singing performance during the ‘At Home’ programme at the Punjab Raj Bhawan on the occasion of the 75th Republic Day on Friday.
Mann, who has had a running battle with Purohit over a slew of issues for more than a year, got on to the dais and started singing ‘Challa’, a Punjabi folk song made popular by singer Gurdas Maan through his powerful rendition. “Aapne aisa mahaul bana diya…andar ka kalakar reh nahin paya (you have created such an atmosphere that the artiste in me could not stop),” he told the governor with a smile.
The chief minister broke into the song in full flow when a group of artistes from the North Zone Cultural Centre (NZCC) were playing patriotic songs before an audience that included Punjab Vidhan Sabha speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan, Chandigarh MP Kirron Kher, additional solicitor general of India, Satyapal Jain, Goc-in-C, Western Command, Lt Gen Devender Sharma, British Deputy High Commissioner Caroline Rowett and senior officers of Punjab and UT administration among others.
After his surprise singing act, the chief minister climbed down from the dais, walked up to the governor and thanked him before leaving the function. The presence of Mann, who had given the customary At Home events held at Raj Bhawan on the occasion of Republic Day, Independence Day and other functions a go-by last year, is being seen as his attempt to mend fences with the governor.
After the CM missed the function organised on the occasion of the 77th Independence Day in August 2023, Purohit had taken a jibe at him for staying away. “His (Mann’s) decision is in line with his own discernment; the chief minister might have decided to forgo the event perhaps as he is afraid of the ceremonial canons placed outside the Raj Bhawan,” the governor had said at that time.
Mann and Purohit have had standoffs over the appointment of vice-chancellors, the convening of special assembly sessions, and the CM’s absence from official functions. The governor repeatedly accused Mann of not replying to his letters seeking information on administrative matters. The CM had previously referred to the missives as “love letters.”
Baby on the way: CM gives ‘good news’ at R-Day event in Ludhiana
Earlier in the day, while addressing the gathering at the Republic Day event at Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, CM Mann announced that he and his wife, Dr Gurpreet Kaur, were expecting a baby in March.
Urging people not to get prenatal sex determination tests done, Mann said: “My wife is seven months pregnant. We have consciously chosen not to discover the gender. I urge everyone to avoid such practices. Let’s refrain from discriminating between boys and girls; instead, let’s wish for a healthy baby.”
