Mann, Kejriwal invoke Sikh history, Hindu mythology to fire up party MLAs

Chandigarh: Shaken by the switch of seven party MPs to BJP ahead of state elections early next year and with BJP leadership declaring Punjab as its next mission after the win in West Bengal, Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday invoked Sikh history and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo Arvind Kejriwal invoked Hindu mythology as they addressed party MLAs in Kapurthala House in Delhi.Addressing MLAs who accompanied him to Delhi and waited outside as he met the President to seek cancellation of membership of the defecting party MPs, Mann said, "We take inspiration from the martyrdom of Chhote Sahibzade, who remained steadfast despite allurements and dreams shown to them." Mann was referring to the two younger sons of Guru Gobind Singh, Sahibzada Zorawar Singh, 9, and Sahibzada Fateh Singh, 6, who were bricked alive in Sirhind on the orders of Wazir Khan, the local Mughal ruler, for refusing to convert to Islam. Thanking and praising party MLAs for remaining steadfast "despite allurements, intimidations and hundreds of dreams", Mann said, "Had it been any other party, it would have probably fallen apart into pieces." Kejriwal said said Punjab will stop the BJP juggernaut in the Feb 2027 state elections. Invoking the Ramayana, Kejriwal said the BJP's winning streak was like the Ashwamedha horse released by Lord Ram, which would claim any land it passed through. "It is said that Luv and Kush stopped that horse in Amritsar. Similarly, the people of Delhi stopped that Ashwamedha horse in 2015 when there was aandhi (storm) of Modi." Recalling past elections, the former Delhi CM added, "Remember 2014 when there was a wave in favour of Narendra Modi. After forming the govt in May 2014, they kept winning elections in Haryana, Maharashtra and Jharkhand. Wherever elections were held, they kept winning continuously. Then came Feb 2015 and in the Delhi elections, the BJP won only three out of 70 seats." Punjab is not a truck that BJP will take a turn to drive it: Mann Earlier, while responding to a question on BJP leadership announcing that Punjab was next in line for the party after the Bengal win, Mann said, "Punjab is not a truck that someone else will take a turn to drive it. Nor is it like the turn of water for irrigating some crop."