Bhagwant Mann is still party’s Punjab unit chief: Sisodia

CHANDIGARH: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on Saturday said that Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann is still the party president in Punjab.

Denying that the state unit is “headless”, Sisodia, who is on his first visit to Chandigarh after being appointed AAP’S Punjab affairs in-charge, said that Mann did submit his resignation from the post, but the party has not accepted it so far. “Mann continues to be the state chief,” he insisted at a press conference here.

However, the Sangrur MP was conspicuous by his absence during the Punjab in-charge’s visit and meetings.

Mann, who was to go abroad for three weeks, had quit the party post on March 16 in protest against AAP national convener and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s unconditional apology to Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Majithia to settle a defamation case over drug-related allegations. He has not been discharging his duties as the state unit chief since.

‘DRUG MAFIA REMAINS AN ISSUE IN PUNJAB’

Sisodia, who jointly addressed the press conference with Singh, said drug mafia is still an issue in Punjab.“illegal mining is an issue, drug is an issue and the party will continue fighting against these,” said the Delhi deputy CM while answering a flurry of questions on Kejriwal’s apology to Majithia.

He added, “My or Kejriwal’s stand on Majithia is not relevant. Rather the Amarinder Singh government should be asked what it doing against the drug mafia.”