'So-called Aam Aadmi...': Political row over '42 cars' in Bhagwant Mann's convoy

Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa, citing the reply to an Right To Information (RTI) query, claimed that Mann has more cars in his convoy than what were deployed with the last three of his predecessors - Parkash Singh Badal, Amarinder Singh, and Charanjit Singh Channi.

TN National Desk

Updated Sep 30, 2022, 17:58 IST

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann

Photo : PTI

New Delhi: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has come under sharp criticism from Opposition over an RTI reply which claimed that the Aam Aadmi Party leader has 42 vehicles in his cavalcade.

"Shocking revelation - CM Badal had 33 vehicles when he was CM from 2007-17 in his cavalcade & there was no change in number of vehicles when Captain Amarinder S became the CM but it has been revealed through RTI that CM Mann 'The so called Aam Aadmi' has 42 cars in his cavalcade," Bajwa, who is the Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, tweeted.

Sharing the RTI reply furnished by the state transport commissioner on Twitter, Bajwa said, "In the past Mr Mann used to question what 'kings and maharajas' do with convoy of so many vehicles? Will CM Mann himself clarify now what he is doing with the convoy of 42 vehicles?"

Bajwa claimed that in the first and second tenure of Parkash Singh Badal as Chief Minister, the number of cars provided to him by the state transport corporation was 33.

Similarly, Amarinder Singh as Chief Minister had 33 vehicles in his cavalcade till the end of his term in September 19, 2021, he said

Quoting the RTI reply furnished by the state transport commissioner office, he said from September 20, 2021, to March 16, 2022, Charanjit Singh Channi as CM had 39 cars in his convoy, getting six more vehicles.

The Congress leader asked Mann if he would tell the citizens of Punjab what purpose this big convoy of vehicles serves.

“There has been a self-contradiction between what Bhagwant Mann used to preach, before becoming the CM, and what he practices, after becoming the CM. Bhagwant Mann used to blast the ruling party over such issues when he was an MP from Sangrur,” he said.

“Would Bhagwant Mann mind letting the citizens of Punjab know how this big convoy of vehicles serves the purpose? Why does he spend taxpayers’ money so recklessly? How can he afford to have such a huge cavalcade now?” he asked.

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