Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has come under fire after opposition leaders accused him of attending the Assembly under the influence of alcohol, sparking a major political controversy.
Chandigarh: A major political controversy erupted in the Punjab Assembly after opposition leaders accused Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann of attending proceedings under the influence of alcohol.
The allegations led to protests, a walkout by Congress MLAs, and fresh demands for medical testing of elected representatives.
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Opposition demands alcohol and dope tests
Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa called for immediate alco-meter and dope testing of the chief minister as well as all MLAs present in the House. The demand was echoed by Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar, who said that such testing could settle the controversy.
“If the government comes to the Assembly in an inebriated state, I believe it's not only an insult to Babasaheb Ambedkar's Constitution, but also an insult to the temple of democracy,” Jakhar said.
He added, “Given the importance of today's special session, all leaders should definitely undergo a breath analyser test. If the breath analyser test of all leaders is done, then there will be no need for a floor test.”
Congress leaders also formally wrote to the Speaker, seeking an independent medical examination by a team from PGIMER Chandigarh to ensure impartiality.
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Swati Maliwal intensifies attack
Swati Maliwal, who recently quit the Aam Aadmi Party, escalated the row by sharing a video clip of Mann and levelling serious allegations.
“Today again, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann arrived at the ‘temple of democracy,’ the Punjab Assembly, allegedly under the influence of alcohol,” she said.
“This man goes to gurdwaras drunk, goes to temples drunk, used to come to the Lok Sabha drunk, attends government meetings drunk, and even drank so much abroad that he was deboarded from a plane,” Maliwal alleged.
She further added, “Before the elections, he had placed his hand on his mother’s head and promised that he would never drink again… The CM of a sensitive border state like Punjab is allegedly intoxicated all the time… signing files while drunk. What a shame.”
Assembly proceedings disrupted, Congress stages walkout
The allegations triggered uproar in the Assembly, with Congress MLAs staging a walkout and demanding action from the Speaker. Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira also publicly called for testing.
“CM Bhagwant Mann was found drunk in the Vidhan Sabha today! We walked out of the House demanding that an alcohol test of the CM be conducted, and we offered to undertake the test ourselves too,” Khaira said in a post.
He added that the chief minister’s conduct had “lowered the prestige of the august House.”
Amid the controversy, Mann moved a confidence motion in the Assembly, asserting that his government remains stable despite recent political developments.
Addressing the House, he said, “The party is strong. From Jammu and Kashmir to Goa, the party has a presence… Our government in Punjab is running successfully.”
The move comes after seven Rajya Sabha MPs, including Raghav Chadha and Swati Maliwal, quit the party and merged with the BJP, dealing a blow to AAP’s strength in Parliament.
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AAP responds, dismisses opposition criticism
AAP leaders defended the government and dismissed the opposition’s claims as politically motivated. Party spokesperson Baltej Pannu criticised the BJP and Congress for raising the issue.
“BJP doesn't have MLAs, what will they do anyway inside the Assembly? So they have set up a fake one,” Pannu said, adding that opposition parties were diverting attention from governance issues.
While the accusations have intensified the political confrontation, there has been no official confirmation or medical evidence supporting claims that the chief minister was intoxicated during the Assembly session.
The issue continues to dominate political discourse in Punjab, highlighting deepening tensions between the ruling AAP and opposition parties.
(With ANI inputs)
Published: 01 May 2026, 05:09 pm IST
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