Sukhpal Khaira slams Bhagwant Mann over DIG Bhullar’s arrest

Senior Congress leader and MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira on Monday launched a scathing attack on Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, holding him directly responsible for what he termed as the “complete collapse of governance and accountability” following the arrest of senior police officer DIG Bhullar by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in a major corruption case.

Khaira said the arrest had once again exposed the “colossal corruption and administrative decay” under the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab. He alleged that state’s Home Minister Bhagwant Mann had “miserably failed” to check corruption within his own administration, raising serious questions about the Chief Minister’s competence and intent.

The legislator further cited alleged irregularities in the purchase of 144 Toyota Hilux pickup trucks for the Punjab Police, describing it as another major scam that points towards deep-rooted corruption within the Home Department. “The procurement process was marred by tender violations, overpricing, and a lack of financial propriety,” Khaira claimed, adding that Mann’s silence on the matter “only strengthens public suspicion of complicity and cover-up.”

Khaira said these incidents had shattered the AAP’s long-held claim of being a party of “Kattar Imandaar” (hardcore honest) individuals. “For a party that came to power on promises of clean governance, the Bhullar and Hilux scams expose the hollowness of AAP’s moral posturing and its blatant hypocrisy,” he said.

The MLA also questioned the silence of AAP’s national leadership, including Arvind Kejriwal, on the issue. “Their refusal to comment on such serious developments reflects moral guilt and political complicity. If the party truly believed in transparency and accountability, it would have initiated immediate action and internal inquiry,” Khaira remarked.

Calling for Bhagwant Mann’s immediate resignation as both Chief Minister and Home Minister, Khaira said the people of Punjab “cannot be governed by a leadership under whose watch such massive corruption has gone unchecked”. He demanded a court-monitored independent investigation to uncover the full extent of the alleged corruption and ensure justice without political interference.

“Punjab deserves better,” Khaira said, while adding, “The people placed their faith in promises of honesty and reform, but what they have received instead is a government entangled in scandals, cover-ups, and administrative negligence.”