Punjab CM - 'Too drunk to walk' Bhagwant Mann ‘deplaned’ from Lufthansa flight, alleges Sukhbir Badal

[bhaigan]

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Sukhbir Singh Badal has asked the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to come clean on whether Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann “deplaned" from a Delhi-bound Lufthansa flight in Germany as he was “too drunk to walk". Sukhbir Singh Badal, quoting some media reports, said that the incident also led to a four-hour delay due to which, Bhagwant Mann also missed the AAP national convention.

Sukhbir Singh Badal said the incident has “shamed" Punjabis all over the globe. Taking to Twitter, Sukhbir Singh Badal said, “Disturbing media reports quoting co-passengers say Pb CM @BhagwantMann was deplaned from Lufthansa flight as he was too drunk to walk. And it led to a 4-hour flight delay. He missed AAP's national convention."

“These reports have embarrassed & shamed Punjabis all over the globe," Sukhbir Singh Badal said.

Demanding an answer on the incident concerning Bhagwant Mann at the Lufthansa flight in Germany’s Frankfurt, Sukhbir Singh Badal said the Punjab government should come clean on the issues. The Siromani Akali Dal president also demanded that the Central government must raise the issue with the German government.

“Pb [Punjab] govt is mum over these reports involving their CM @BhagwantMann. @ArvindKejriwal needs to come clean on this issue. Govt of India must step in as this involves Punjabi & national pride. If he was deplaned, GoI [Government of India] must raise the issue with its German counterpart," Sukhbir Singh Badal said.

 

EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT

The Hindu quoted an eyewitness saying that a person who was wearing a white kurta pajama and who resembled Bhagwant Mann boarded the flight.

The eyewitness said the person was accompanied by other passengers. But after some time, the eyewitness said, four or five left the Lufthansa Frankfurt-Delhi flight on Saturday.

The eyewitness said the person was “totally drunk" and could not stand without support.

The eyewitness said the flight was delayed by “three hours" because of a late inbound flight and an aircraft change. It got further delayed after the person and his team’s luggage was taken out following an argument between some passengers and the cabin crew.

 

AAP RESPONDS

Rejecting the reports, AAP leader Malwinder Singh Kang accused the opponents’ “dirty tricks departments" of spreading rumours to defame Bhagwant Mann.

“They cannot digest that Mann is working hard to get investment in Punjab," Malwinder Singh Kang said.

A Punjab government official has confirmed that Bhagwant Mann did not board the Lufthansa flight as per schedule. AAP’s director of media communications Chander Suta Dogra, however, insisted that Bhagwant Mann was a “little unwell" and was due to catch a flight later.

 

WHAT DID LUFTHANSA SAY?

A Lufthansa spokesperson said the Frankfurt-Delhi flight was delayed due to a delayed inbound flight and an aircraft change. “For data protection reasons, we do not provide any information regarding individual passengers," the spokesperson said.

[bhaigan]

AAP governance in Punjab