Accompanied by party MLAs and ministers, Mann visited Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi.
This meeting came after a major blow to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on April 24, when seven out of its ten Rajya Sabha MPs—Raghav Chadha, Ashok Mittal, Sandeep Pathak, Harbhajan Singh, Rajendra Gupta, Vikramjit Sahney, and Swati Maliwal—resigned to join the BJP, claiming the party had abandoned its core principles and values. Six of these MPs were from Punjab.
Following his discussion with the President, Mann held a press conference where he characterized the exit of the seven MPs as a “murder” of the Constitution. He remarked, “The merger of seven MPs with another party is utterly unconstitutional. I detailed our concerns to Rashtrapati ji.”
Mann highlighted the fact that the BJP holds only two MLA seats in Punjab, yet now possesses six Rajya Sabha MPs. He questioned, “How is this possible? Doesn’t this undermine the Constitution?”
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“If they are truly revolutionary at heart, they should have resigned from their six seats. AAP could have replaced them,” Mann remarked, criticizing their actions.
He stressed the necessity for a recall mechanism in the Constitution, recalling MP Raghav Chadha’s earlier calls for such a provision when elected representatives fail to meet public expectations. “Have you met the people’s expectations?” Mann challenged the MPs during his address.
Mann also presented a letter to the President, endorsed by all AAP MLAs. He made a distinction between ‘elected’ versus ‘selected’ officials, stating, “They were ‘selected.’ Hence, their membership should be revoked.”
The President assured Mann that she would seek advice from constitutional experts prior to responding.
Earlier, Mann and party MLAs traveled to Delhi from Chandigarh.
While speaking to reporters in Chandigarh, Mann confirmed that all AAP MLAs stood united. “Only I have been allotted time for the meeting,” he noted.
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“The President is the defender of the Constitution. She is the constitutional leader of the nation,” he added.
In a later post on X in Hindi, Mann stated, “Our efforts to uphold Punjab’s rights and interests persist. Today, along with all AAP MLAs, I have departed to discuss urgent issues facing Punjab and present the state’s strong voice to the President. As your public servant, our administration remains dedicated to Punjab’s welfare and the protection of all citizens’ rights.”
The MLAs and ministers convened at the Chief Minister’s residence in the morning before heading to Delhi, brandishing signs that read ‘Punjab Mann De Naal’ and ‘Punjab’s Traitors.’ The legislators traveled to Delhi by bus.
Mann had previously requested a meeting with the President to address the issue of the “recall” of the Rajya Sabha MPs who defected to the BJP. However, only Mann was allocated time for the meeting.
