Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Sunday said that the recent court verdict discharging AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal and others marked a historic victory of truth in Indian politics, strengthening the party’s emergence as a national force.
Addressing a rally led by Kejriwal in Delhi via video conferencing, Mann launched a direct political challenge to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), claiming that Punjab would deliver 100 seats to the AAP in the 2027 assembly polls to defeat what he described as “authoritarian” rule. “The victory against such politics will begin from Punjab. Where Punjab moves, the nation follows,” he said, adding that 2027 would mark the beginning of change across the country. Mann is currently undergoing naturopathy and wellness treatment at a private nature care centre in Bengaluru.
Referring to the alleged withholding of the goods and services tax (GST) dues and the non-release of the ₹1,600 crore flood relief announced for the state, Mann said that injustice would be answered through a resounding democratic mandate. “There have been several instances where GST was opposed but later implemented. There were statements about rising oil prices. Now, prices are even higher, yet it is called a masterstroke. This is the difference between truth and falsehood,” he claimed.
Recalling the period when senior leaders were in jail during the Jalandhar byelection, he said the party’s decision-making mechanism had been affected at that time. “Yet, with our backup team, we continued. In meetings, Kejriwal always asked about Punjab. He enquired whether free electricity was reaching people, whether irrigation work was progressing, and directed that anyone found corrupt should be sent to jail. Despite the circumstances, we won the Jalandhar by-election and another MP seat by a large margin. That strengthened our resolve,” the CM added.
{{/usCountry}}Recalling the period when senior leaders were in jail during the Jalandhar byelection, he said the party’s decision-making mechanism had been affected at that time. “Yet, with our backup team, we continued. In meetings, Kejriwal always asked about Punjab. He enquired whether free electricity was reaching people, whether irrigation work was progressing, and directed that anyone found corrupt should be sent to jail. Despite the circumstances, we won the Jalandhar by-election and another MP seat by a large margin. That strengthened our resolve,” the CM added.
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