AAP MPs' merger with BJP: Punjab CM says meeting president on May 5

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who had sought an appointment with President Droupadi Murmu to demand the ''recall'' of the AAP's Rajya Sabha MPs who joined the BJP, said on Wednesday he will meet her on May 5. ''The president has given a time of 12 noon on May 5 (for the meeting) and I will certainly meet her,'' Mann said while speaking to reporters here. When asked whether there was any provision for recalling a legislator in the law, Mann gave no clear answer. Mann also did not clarify whether MLAs will accompany him when he meets the president. On April 24, the Aam Aadmi Party suffered a jolt when seven of its 10 Rajya Sabha MPs -- Raghav Chadha, Ashok Mittal, Sandeep Pathak, Harbhajan Singh, Rajendra Gupta, Vikramjit Sahney and Swati Maliwal -- quit and merged with the BJP, alleging that the party had strayed from its principles, values and core morals. Six of the seven MPs who quit AAP were from Punjab. Rajya Sabha Chairman C P Radhakrishnan on Monday officially accepted the merger of the MPs with the BJP, reducing the strength of Arvind Kejriwal's party in the Upper House to three. Asked that there are talks that the government will bring a confidence motion during the special session of the state assembly on May 1, Mann said, ''there are already 94 MLAs (of the party). What could be the bigger confidence of the people of Punjab than this? When a budget passes, it also shows confidence. If a budget fails, then a government can fall. All our bills were passed almost unanimously (in the House). ''If somebody claims that so many (MLAs ) are in contact (with other parties) and their government will fall, then we will bring the confidence (motion),'' he said. Replying to a question on Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar who asked the AAP government to clear pending dues of the state employees, Mann countered the BJP leader to get Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ''guarantees'' of giving Rs 15 lakh into everyone's bank account and 2 crore jobs fulfilled. ''Those who break trust are called 'gaddars','' said Mann referring to seven Rajya Sabha MPs who defected to the BJP. To another question on blast at freight rail track, Mann said the state police teams are in touch with the central teams as well. Police have already arrested four persons in this regard, he said. ''Further probe is underway.'' Asked whether he will undertake a 'Shukrana Yatra' for the passage of the anti-sacrilege bill, Mann said, ''No plan has yet been made in this regard.'' Mann said 15 Indians including 11 from Punjab are being deported from Australia. Two of them are from Telangana and one each from Haryana and Uttarakhand. Out of 11 from Punjab, one is a woman, said Mann. ''We will receive them at the Delhi airport,'' he said. When asked about their deportation, Mann said they were facing criminal cases in Australia. ''If you break the law there, then this would happen. When you break their laws, then they will oust you,'' he said. To a question on party MLAs meeting in Jalandhar, Mann said it is a meeting of party's observers.

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