Bhagwant Mann accuses BJP of horse-trading, says a senior leader offered him money, place in Union Cabinet for deserting AAP

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Bhagwant Mann on Sunday alleged that a senior leader from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) tried to lure him to join the BJP, adding that he was offered money and a place in the Union Cabinet for deserting AAP.

"A very senior leader from BJP had called me and asked me whether I would like to leave AAP and join BJP. He offered me to accept either a designation in the BJP or money. I was even promised that I would be appointed as a cabinet minister with a portfolio of my choice," said Mann while addressing a press conference here today.

Mann asserted that he is 'on a mission, not on commission.'

"My mission is to make Punjab prosperous, peaceful and developed. I don't care for offers of BJP. I gave up my career at its peak to serve Punjab. BJP does not have enough money or positions to buy Mann. In fact, the BJP is trying to buy the trust of the people of Punjab but I will continue to fight for Punjab, Punjabi and Punjabiyat," he added.

Accusing BJP of "playing a dirty game of manipulation, intimidation and horse-trading", Mann said that BJP might have formed governments in different states by manipulation, but BJP, union government or government agencies can neither buy Bhagwant Mann nor intimidate him.

Mann said that the BJP led Union government is responsible for the deaths of 700 farmers who were protesting at the Delhi borders peacefully against the farm laws brought last year, while in Lakhimpur Kheri, the BJP leader mercilessly killed farmers under his vehicle.

"For a whole year, the BJP has been abusing the mothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, brothers of the peasant movement and calling them goons, madmen, terrorists. Therefore, the BJP should not even think to buy any AAP office bearer or volunteer, let alone the illusion of buying Bhagwant Mann," he added.

The AAP MP said that people in Punjab have started hating BJP due to its anti-people policies.

"The base of BJP was already negligible in Punjab and people from all walks of life including traders, businessmen and urban voters are fed up from BJP and its Prime Minister due to anti-people policies," he said.

Responding to the queries about the BJP's pact with Captain Amarinder Singh and Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa during the press conference, Bhagwant Mann said that the BJP leaders were jostling here and there as the BJP had nothing of its own in Punjab. "The value of zero remains the same even after adding a number of zeros with it," he added.

Punjab is scheduled to go to the Assembly polls in 2022.

( With inputs from ANI )