Was offered money, berth of choice by senior BJP leader, claims AAP leader Bhagwant Mann

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 5

Aam Aadmi Party’s Punjab unit president and Member of Parliament from Sangrur Bhagwant Mann on Sunday claimed that a senior BJP leader had offered him money and a berth of his choice in the Union Cabinet for joining the saffron party.

They did this in Madhya Pradesh, K’taka, Goa and Meghalaya and now they think this can be done in Punjab too. — Bhagwant Mann, AAP leader

State BJP president Ashwani Sharma denied the charge. At a press conference here, Mann claimed he was approached four days ago but refused to name the BJP leader.

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“He tried to convince me, saying since I was the lone AAP MP, I could not be disqualified under the anti-defection law. I am on a mission, not on commission. My mission is to make Punjab prosperous,” Mann declared, claiming some MLAs of his party too had been approached by the BJP.

Blaming the BJP for the death of more than 700 farmers at Delhi borders, the MP said the BJP had no base in Punjab and its leaders were not being allowed to enter villages for holding meetings and rallies.