Bhagwant Mann Drunk In Assembly? What Speaker Said On Opposition’s Alcohol Test Demand

Dramatic scenes erupted in the Punjab Assembly on Friday during a special Labour Day session after the Opposition raised explosive allegations against Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann that he had entered the House while under the influence of alcohol. The allegation led to a political storm as Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leaders demanded an alcohol test not only for the chief minister but also for all the MLAs to “establish the truth”. The debate quickly turned into a heated fight in the House itself, leading to protests in the House, walkout by Congress legislators and angry words between the treasury and Opposition benches. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, on the other hand, said that the session had been convened in the spirit of honouring workers on Labour Day and asked members to be decorous.

What started the ‘drunk in Assembly’ row?

The fight started after a Congress MLA allegedly stated that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had entered the House in an inebriated state. The matter soon became serious when Leader of Opposition Pratap Singh Bajwa raised the issue in the House, stating that it was a serious issue regarding the honour of the highest elected office in state.

Congress leaders said that these claims could not be dismissed and insisted that verification should be carried out within a day through medical testing. The matter ran out of control, disrupting proceedings and also taking away the spotlight from the Labour Day agenda.

Why is the Opposition calling for alcohol and dope tests for all MLAs?

Pratap Singh Bajwa raised his attack by demanding that all legislators should submit to alcohol meter test, saying that these allegations were about the “head of the state” and that they demanded absolute transparency. Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira took it one step ahead by asking the Speaker to order an immediate alcohol test of the chief minister, and even offered that all Congress MLAs would submit to the same test.

Opposition also demanded an independent medical examination at PGIMER, saying that this was not an attack on any specific individual but was an exercise in collective accountability, and that the sanctity of the Assembly was at stake. However, the chief minister was squarely in the firing line.

How did the Shiromani Akali Dal join the fray?

The Shiromani Akali Dal also joined with a counter-attack, releasing videos of the Assembly, and alleging that Bhagwant Mann had entered it after drinking alcohol. The party said that the act was “very shameful”, especially on Labour Day.

SAD leaders demanded that the chief minister undergo a dope test in full public view, arguing that the people of Punjab deserved clarity. The party also urged citizens to closely observe Mann’s behaviour in the Assembly, amplifying the political and public scrutiny around the incident.

What was Bhagwant Mann’s response to the allegations?

Amid the uproar, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann refrained from directly addressing the allegations on the floor of the House. Instead, he emphasised that the special session had been convened to honour the working class on Labour Day and appealed to members to avoid unnecessary arguments and maintain decorum.

The AAP leadership has so far not issued a detailed rebuttal to the specific claims, choosing instead to focus on the intent behind the session and the broader legislative agenda.

Did the controversy lead to protests inside the Assembly?

Yes, the allegations led to immediate protests by Opposition members. Congress MLAs staged a walkout after raising slogans and demanding action from the Speaker. The disruption stalled proceedings and turned what was intended as a commemorative session into a politically charged showdown.

The walkout underscored the seriousness with which the Opposition was pursuing the issue, while also highlighting the deepening rift between the ruling AAP and rival parties in Punjab.

What broader political context adds to the tension?

The controversy comes at a sensitive time for the ruling Aam Aadmi Party. Just days before the session, seven of its Rajya Sabha MPs, six from Punjab quit the party and joined the BJP, dealing a political setback to the state leadership.

Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring also questioned the purpose of the special session, arguing that it offered little for labourers and describing the government as being in the “last leg of its tenure.”

These developments have added fuel to the Opposition’s aggressive stance, turning the Assembly controversy into part of a larger political narrative about governance and credibility.

What happens next in the ‘drunk CM’ row?

With multiple Opposition parties demanding alcohol and dope tests, the issue is unlikely to subside soon. Calls for independent medical verification and public accountability suggest that the matter could escalate further both inside and outside the Assembly.

Whether the AAP government chooses to directly address the allegations or continues to sidestep them will likely determine the political trajectory of this controversy. For now, the Labour Day session intended to honour workers has instead spiralled into one of the most contentious political flashpoints in Punjab in recent times.

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