Chandigarh, April 25: The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has criticized Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s decision to meet with the President, calling it a ‘political drama.’ Mann aims to request the recall of Rajya Sabha MPs who recently defected to the BJP.
The Akali Dal reminded the Chief Minister that the authority to act against MPs under the Constitution’s Tenth Schedule lies with Parliament, not at the discretion of the President.
Senior party leader Daljit Singh Cheema stated in a press release that the anti-defection law is clear: if two-thirds of a party’s members merge with another party, no action can be taken against them.
Cheema also pointed out that Mann had previously approved one of SAD’s three MLAs joining the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and appointed him as the chairman of a public sector enterprise.
He urged AAP to clarify why it nominated wealthy ‘outsiders’ for the Rajya Sabha instead of genuine representatives of Punjab’s ‘common man.’ Cheema questioned whether citizens have the right to recall those MLAs who have disappointed them, or if accountability only applies in selective cases.
He suggested that if AAP truly believes in democratic ethics, it should visit Punjab’s ‘Lok Bhawan’ and seek a fresh mandate (elections) from the Governor. This approach, rather than mere constitutional theatrics, would help restore public trust in the party.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has requested an appointment with President Droupadi Murmu to discuss the issue of recalling the seven Rajya Sabha members who recently joined the BJP.
This development comes just a day after seven AAP Rajya Sabha members—Raghav Chadha, Sandeep Pathak, Ashok Mittal, cricketer Harbhajan Singh, Rajinder Gupta, Swati Maliwal, and Vikramjeet Sahni—announced their decision to leave AAP and join the BJP. With the exception of Swati Maliwal, the other six MPs represent Punjab in the upper house.
Since seven out of AAP’s ten Rajya Sabha MPs switched parties with a two-thirds majority, they are unlikely to face disqualification under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, commonly known as the anti-defection law.
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Arpit Soni has had a passion for journalism since the beginning. Now he has turned this hobby into his profession. Arpit, who is a resident of Udaipur, enjoys editing and writing news related to journalism. He has worked as a Senior Content Producer in several important roles at Bhaskar, Patrika, Pratahkal, Punjab Kesari, and Times. Arpit completed his schooling in Udaipur and Jaipur. He has been working in the media industry for more than 10 years, and his journey is still continuing. ✍️📚
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