CM Mann targets BJP, rebel MPs after meeting President Murmu, warns of ‘strong response’
Babushahi Bureau
New Delhi, May 5, 2026: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on the BJP-led Central government and rebel MPs after his meeting with President Droupadi Murmu.
Addressing the media, Mann said constitutional norms were being undermined and asserted that “arbitrariness has no place in a democracy.” He accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of disregarding constitutional values.
Taking a dig at the BJP’s political standing in Punjab, Mann questioned how a party with just two MLAs in the state Assembly could have six members in the Rajya Sabha, calling the situation a “mockery of democracy.”
He criticised the rebel MPs for switching sides without resigning, saying they should have stepped down before leaving the party. The Chief Minister also alleged attempts to intimidate AAP leaders, claiming threats of multiple FIRs had been made.
Mann further accused the BJP of acting like a “washing machine,” alleging that leaders from other parties join it to cleanse their past records. He warned that joining the BJP would not provide any “protective shield.”
Issuing a strong warning, Mann said any attempt by the Centre to assert pressure in Punjab would be met with a response “five times stronger.”
He concluded by asserting that Punjab would not tolerate coercion and claimed that efforts to pressure MPs through central agencies would ultimately fail in the state.