Punjab govt to take floor test to prove majority amid ‘Operation Lotus’ claims
The ruling AAP had earlier said at least its 10 MLAs were approached by BJP people with an offer of ₹25 crore each in a bid to topple the state government.
Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday said his government will call a special session of the Vidhan Sabha to take a floor test on September 22 to prove its majority amid AAP MLAs' allegations of ‘Operation Lotus’ in the state.
“The faith of the people has no value in any currency of the world... On Thursday, 22 September, a special session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha will be convened and this will be proved legally by submitting a vote of confidence... Long live the revolution..!” Mann tweeted in Punjabi.
The ruling party had earlier said at least its 10 MLAs were approached by BJP people with an offer of ₹25 crore each in a bid to topple the state government.
On September 14, the Punjab Police had registered a case after the ruling AAP complained to the state DGP, accusing the BJP of an attempt to poach its MLAs.
State finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema and party MLAs met DGP Gaurav Yadav over the issue and demanded a thorough probe.
An official spokesperson of the state police had said, "Following a complaint filed by some MLAs of the state, the Punjab Police registered a first information report under Section 8 of the Prevention of Corruption Act and Sections 171-B and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC)."
Cheema said BJP agents and workers from Delhi and Punjab had allegedly tried to break away 35 MLAs from AAP to topple the government in Punjab. He accused the BJP of murdering democracy by toppling elected governments in various states after using central agencies like the CBI and the ED and also by offering money.
But the "Operation Lotus" has completely failed in Punjab, said Cheema.
The finance minister claimed the BJP is threatened by the rising graph of AAP in other states.