BJP joins Opposition chorus demanding Punjab CM Mann's resignation over allegations against wife

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has joined calls from other Opposition parties in Punjab demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann over allegations that his wife, Gurpreet Kaur, sought Rs 5 crore to suppress a rape case. The demand comes amid a notice issued by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to the Punjab government and its police chief, seeking a report within two weeks.

BJP leader Iqbal Singh Lalpura described the NHRC notice as a “very serious matter,” adding that the allegations are equally serious. “Nothing less than an independent investigation will do,” he said on Monday. The NHRC proceedings state that a complainant alleged a retired judge publicly claimed a demand of Rs 5 crore was made in connection with a rape case, allegedly involving the wife of the chief minister.

The controversy has prompted the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Congress to also demand Mr Mann's resignation, with the issue surfacing months before Punjab is scheduled to go to polls. The BJP and the SAD are expected to contest the elections as allies.

Gurpreet Kaur, meanwhile, has sent a legal notice to former Punjab judge Justice Ranjit Singh, who NHRC member Priyank Kanoongo said had given the complaint. Justice Singh is the brother-in-law of Congress MLA Sukhpal Khaira. The legal notice asks for an apology within 24 hours, failing which legal proceedings will follow.

Speaking on the NHRC's action, Mr Kanoongo said, “We have directed the chief secretary and the DGP of Punjab to investigate the matter and submit a report to us. We have also informed the women's safety division of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.”

Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring urged the chief minister to clarify the matter immediately. “The chief minister should give his clarification on the issue. Why such allegations have been levelled, what is the matter, he should clarify,” he said.

Defending Ms Kaur, the AAP women's wing chief Amandeep Kaur Arora dismissed the allegations as baseless. “When lies cross all limits, the response has to be not only political but also legal. Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira's brother-in-law, Ranjit Singh, recently levelled false allegations against Dr Gurpreet Kaur. She has sent him a legal notice, asking him to apologise within 24 hours, failing which he will face legal proceedings in court,” Ms Arora told reporters.

She alleged a political agenda behind the controversy, saying the Akali Dal and the BJP have “become desperate” because the AAP government has “done so much work in Punjab over the past four-and-a-half years that they have no answer to it.”

The developments have intensified the political heat in Punjab, with Opposition parties seeking a thorough inquiry. The NHRC's notice has added a formal layer to the allegations, though no independent investigation has been announced as yet. The chief minister has not publicly responded to the resignation demands so far.