NEW DELHI, March 16: The Aam Aadmi Party government was installed in Punjab on Wednesday with its legislature party leader Bhagwant Mann sworn-in as the chief minister.
Changing the tradition of holding the swearing-in ceremony in Raj Bhavan, Mann took oath at Khatkar Kalan, the ancestral village of freedom fighter ‘Shaheed-e-Azam’ Bhagat Singh. Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit administered the oath of office and secrecy to Mann in the swearing-in ceremony. Besides other prominent singers of Punjab, the singer-turned-politician Mohammad Sadique, a Congress MP was among those present on the occasion. The men and women attending the event were wearing “Basanti” (yellow), the colour symbolising Bhagat Singh, the men sporting yellow turban and women yellow “dupatta.”
After the ceremony, Mann said his Government would address issues like unemployment, corruption and farmers’ plight which are plaguing the State. “The work will start from today,” he said. He said the condition of schools and hospitals in the State would be improved like it has been done by the AAP Government in Delhi.
“The golden rays of the sun have brought a new dawn today. Today the whole Punjab will take oath at Khatkar Kalan to make the dreams of Shaheed Bhagat Singh and Baba Sahib come true,” Mann had tweeted in Punjabi before taking the oath.
“We are here for you. We will work on unemployment, agriculture. I am the Chief Minister of everyone in Punjab, even those who did not vote for our party (Aam Aadmi Party).” “Bhagat Singh said ‘It is everyone’s right to love’. Love your motherland, love the soil that gave birth to you.”
“You see how people from different countries visit Delhi to see the Mohalla Clinics and government schools. We’ll also turnaround Punjab like that,” he said.
(Manas Dasgupta)
