BJP Joins Calls For Bhagwant Mann's Resignation Over Allegations Against Wife

The BJP has joined the call for demanding the resignation of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann over allegations that his wife, Gurpreet Kaur, sought Rs 5 crore to suppress a rape case.

Leaders of other Opposition parties in Punjab including the Shiromani Akali Dal and the Congress have also demanded the resignation of the chief minister, who heads a government run by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

"The NHRC notice is a very serious matter. The allegations are also very serious. Nothing less than an independent investigation will do," BJP leader Iqbal Singh Lalpura said today.

He was referring to a notice sent by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to the Punjab government and its police chief over a complaint alleging that Mann's wife sought Rs 5 crore to suppress a rape case. The NHRC has sought a report within two weeks.

"The complainant alleged that a retired judge publicly stated that a demand of Rs 5 crore was made in connection with a rape case, allegedly involving the wife of the chief minister of Punjab," the NHRC proceedings said.

After the controversy erupted, Gurpreet Kaur sent a legal notice to former Punjab judge Justice Ranjit Singh, who NHRC member Priyank Kanoongo said had given the complaint. The former judge is also the brother-in-law of Congress leader Sukhpal Khaira.

"It is easy to make allegations and baseless claims, but we are fully prepared to face all such accusations head-on. I have never been intimidated in the past and will not be intimidated now. Anyone speaking against me should first get their facts straight, otherwise, they should be prepared to face legal notices and legal action," Gurpreet Kaur said.

The Shiromani Akali Dal, too, has demanded the resignation of the chief minister over the huge controversy that erupted months before elections are scheduled in Punjab. The BJP and the Akali Dal are likely to contest as allies.

"We have directed the chief secretary and the DGP of Punjab to investigate the matter and submit a report to us. We have also informed the women's safety division of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs," Kanoongo said.

Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring said Mann must clarify the matter immediately. "The chief minister should give his clarification on the issue. Why such allegations have been levelled, what is the matter, he should clarify," he said.

The AAP women wing chief Amandeep Kaur Arora dismissed the allegations as baseless and cited the legal action the chief minister's wife has initiated.

"When lies cross all limits, the response has to be not only political but also legal. Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira's brother-in-law, Ranjit Singh, recently levelled false allegations against Dr Gurpreet Kaur. She has sent him a legal notice, asking him to apologise within 24 hours, failing which he will face legal proceedings in court," Arora told reporters.

She alleged a political agenda behind the controversy, saying the Akali Dal and the BJP have "become desperate" as the AAP government has "done so much work in Punjab over the past four-and-a-half years that they have no answer to it."