New Delhi, May 5 Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday said that the seven Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha members, who had switched over to the BJP last month, could have resigned from the party and re-contested on BJP ticket, if they had "enough courage".
Addressing reporters after his meeting with President Droupadi Murmu, Mann said: "If seven out of ten of our MPs come together and say that they have merged with another party, it cannot happen just by their own will. There are laws governing the country, and things must be done according to the Constitution."
"Either the entire party merges, or it could have been accepted if they had submitted a resolution. If they had enough courage to do so," he added.
Further, Mann said: "If they (seven MPs) disliked the Aam Aadmi Party so much, they should have simply resigned and got elected from somewhere else on the BJP's ticket. We also would have sent seven of our representatives (for the contest)."
"I have told the President how democracy has been reduced to a joke in Punjab. Currently, there are 2 elected BJP MLAs in Punjab, and now they have 6 Rajya Sabha MPs from the state. Isn't it a mockery of the Constitution?" he said.
Six out of the seven defecting MPs were elected from Punjab.
Chief Minister Mann called for the cancellation of the seven MPs' Rajya Sabha membership. "They should be disqualified, and AAP should be given a chance to again fill in those seven seats," he asserted.
He mentioned that if there is no provision for recall, then an amendment should be brought. "I have discussed this with the President, she has assured to call me back after discussing the matter with specialists of the Constitution."
During an event, the Punjab Chief Minister accused the BJP of finishing regional parties.
"Today I met the President. I told her that they (BJP) are finishing regional parties," he said.
Giving examples, Mann said: "(Om Prakash and Dushyant) Chautalas' party was finished, Sharad Pawar's party was finished, and Uddhav Thackeray's party is also finished. They're behind Tejashwi (Yadav); they've almost finished it. Now they say that they'll finish the Trinamool Congress."
However, he asserted: "But they won't be able to finish Aam Aadmi Party, because Aam Aadmi Party is a national party."
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