‘Ek tha joker’: Cong snaps back at Punjab CM over ‘shortest story’ jibe at party
In a press meet on Monday, Mann had said that the Congress has been relegated to history in Punjab and Delhi
The Congress in a tart rejoinder called Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann a “joker” hours after her remarked that the Grand Old Party has been reduced to a thing of the past.
Earlier on Monday (January 1), Mann while addressing a press conference, had suggested that the opposition party has been relegated to history in the state and in Delhi.
“In Punjab and Delhi, mothers can tell the world's shortest story to their children - Ek Thi Cong (there was once a Congress)," he quipped when asked about the reported reluctance of state Congress leaders to having an alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
Congress leader Pawan Khera, who was quick to come up with a rebuttal, said that Mann’s sentiments towards the Congress matched with that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“How similar are your views and that of Modi ji. Both are striving for a Congress-free India…,” Khera posted on X.
“Anyway, there is a Bhojpuri film named ‘Ek tha joker’. I hope you have watched it,” said the post in Hindi.
‘आप’ के और मोदी जी के विचार कितने मिलते हैं!!
— Pawan Khera 🇮🇳 (@Pawankhera) January 1, 2024
दोनों का सपना कांग्रेस मुक्त भारत का है। दोनों मुँह की खाएँगे।
वैसे एक भोजपुरी पिक्चर का नाम है ‘एक था जोकर’।
आपने तो देखी होगी? https://t.co/pgNF2L6e0X
Congress-AAP rift
On Monday, when asked about the issue of seat adjustment among INDIA bloc partners, Mann said these matters would be discussed in the alliance meeting and added, "Only after things are finalised we will be able to tell".
"We are fighting for the country. If the Constitution is saved, then everything else will remain," he said.
The Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP which is in power in Delhi and Punjab, and the Congress are among the 28 constituents of the INDIA bloc formed to take on the BJP in the upcoming general elections.
When Mann was asked about Congress leaders reportedly telling their party high command that the party would be wiped out in polls if it allied with AAP, the chief minister took a swipe at the opposition party saying, "Te hun ki hoya hai unada (Is their state of affairs any different now)".
He ended his press conference with his "shortest story" jibe at the Congress.
Notably, many Punjab Congress leaders including Partap Singh Bajwa had earlier said the sentiments of party cadre in the state are against any alliance with the ruling AAP for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Row over R-Day tableau
Meanwhile, notwithstanding the Defence Ministry's statement on Sunday over the tableau matter, Mann again trained his guns at the Centre over the "non-inclusion" of the state's float in the Republic Day parade. He also categorically stated that Punjab would not showcase its tableau in Bharat Parv at the Red Fort.
"Why will we send our tableau to the rejected category... We can take out all the three tableaux in Delhi that we had given for shortlisting purposes for the Republic Day parade. Why only the Red Fort...," he said. "How did they imagine a Republic Day without the tableau of Punjab? What are the criteria for the selection of tableaus? They are saying our tableau was considered in the first three rounds. Is this some kind of tournament? Who are these people sitting there who reject these tableaus and Punjab's culture? We know how to respect our freedom fighters, we don't need any NoC from BJP," he said.
The Centre had on Sunday rejected as "baseless" Mann's criticism of the BJP-led government for not including the state's tableau in the Republic Day parade 2024 and his allegations of discrimination.
(With inputs from agencies)
