Punjab: Bittu questions Mann's ‘luxury hotel stay'
Accusing chief minister Bhagwant Mann of staying in a lavish hotel suite during his Ludhiana visit, Union minister and senior BJP leader Ravneet Singh Bittu on Sunday questioned the CM and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) regarding their 'claims of simplicity'. His comments drew a sharp reaction from cabinet minister Tarunpreet Singh Sondh who, while terming the claims as baseless, accused the BJP leader of 'betraying' his family's political legacy.
Addressing a press conference, Bittu said, 'Mann, who often describes himself as the son of a teacher, was staying in a luxury hotel room that costs ₹1 lakh per night. The CM is said to have got a concession of ₹25,000, paying ₹75,000 per night while occupying an entire floor that costs the government ₹5 lakh daily.'
'In the past, chief ministers and even Prime Ministers have stayed at the Circuit House or Sutton House in PAU. With the model code of conduct in place, who is footing this extravagant bill?' Bittu questioned.
Calling the Ludhiana West by-election crucial, Bittu said a victory for the BJP is necessary to stop what he called an 'insult to Punjabis.' He warned that if AAP wins, it could lead to another non-Punjabi being sent to the Rajya Sabha from Punjab.
Bittu also criticised chief minister Mann for remaining silent on whether AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjeev Arora would be inducted into the state cabinet. Highlighting 'corruption' under AAP's rule, Bittu referred to the recent arrest of Ludhiana MC superintendent engineer Sanjay Kanwar by the Vigilance Bureau. 'According to the VB, Kanwar confessed to distributing bribe money all the way up the ladder, but no action has been taken against the top officials he named,' Bittu claimed.
He further accused Sanjeev Arora of disrespecting freedom fighters. 'In the presence of CM Mann and the entire AAP leadership, Arora failed to correctly name Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha and used inappropriate language,' Bittu said.
Meanwhile, cabinet minister Tarunpreet Singh Sondh said Bittu betrayed his family's political legacy for a Rajya Sabha seat. 'He is loyal to no party. He moves wherever he sees personal benefit,' he said. Terming AAP candidate for Ludhiana West bypoll Sanjeev Arora as an honest leader, Sondh said, 'Both the BJP and the Congress are frightened by the prospect of a massive defeat and they are making baseless statements in frustration.'
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