Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday said main political parties of Punjab will have to answer for their “misdeeds” during the 'Main Punjab Bolda Haan' -- a debate slated to be held on November 1 in Ludhiana.
The debate will be held at an auditorium of the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU).
“The name of the debate to be held at Ludhiana on November 1 at 12 noon will be 'Main Punjab Bolda Haan'. The main political parties of Punjab which have been in power will present their side. Each party will get 30 minutes,” Mann said in a post on X.
Mann had earlier dared Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar, Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring and Leader of Opposition in Punjab assembly Partap Singh Bajwa, and SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal for an open debate on issues concerning the state.
He had thrown the challenge in response to opposition parties' criticism of the Aam Aadmi Party government over the Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal issue.
In a statement on Thursday, Mann said the debate will be centred around Punjab’s “loot” in the past, referring to issues such as nepotism, toll plazas, the 2015 sacrilege case, river water-sharing, among others.
Daring leaders of other political parties to participate in an open debate before Punjabis and the media, the chief minister said they have deceived Punjab on these issues, and are answerable to the people.
Mann said the debate will give the people a clear picture on “how they were betrayed” while these leaders “secured their own interests” by committing “unpardonable sins”.
People of the state will “never forget and forgive these leaders for the sinister moves against Punjab”, he said.
Mann said the debate will be moderated by Nirmal Jaura, the director of students welfare at PAU.
Punjab BJP chief Jakhar questioned if Jaura can be unbiased in conducting the debate given he is a government employee.
“Can he be unbiased?” the BJP leader asked, sharing old pictures of Mann with Jaura to support his claim of a close association between the two.
Jakhar had earlier suggested that a three-member panel be formed to steer the debate. He had proposed the names of former MP Dharamvira Gandhi, former MLA H S Phoolka and Kanwar Sandhu.
Shiromani Akali Dal has termed it a "sham debate", and said the party would not be part of “this anti-Punjab exercise”.
