CHANDIGARH: Bajwa said the Punjab Cabinet’s recent decision to strip the Chief Minister of chairmanship over various Urban Development Authorities, handing it instead to the Chief Secretary, is proof that Mann no longer calls the shots in Punjab. “This is not a policy decision—it is a hostile takeover. Governance in Punjab is being run directly by Kejriwal and his handpicked persons, ” Bajwa said.
Taking direct aim at Mann, Bajwa alleged that he has willingly surrendered Punjab’s constitutional authority for political survival and personal perks. “This decision is a betrayal of Punjab’s self-respect and an outright insult to the office of the Chief Minister. The Congress will vehemently oppose this de facto power grab in the Vidhan Sabha, ” he added.
Calling it a “silent coup against Punjab’s democracy, ” Bajwa warned that elected representatives are being systematically sidelined in favour of unelected, Delhi-appointed loyalists. “This is not decentralisation. This is colonisation by Delhi, ” he said. “When AAP leaders visit your villages, ask them: who governs Punjab—Mann or Kejriwal?”
Bajwa also flagged the recent centralisation of power within the Punjab Development Commission, where the Chief Secretary was asked to indirectly report to Delhi’s proxies. “The same playbook is being used for development authorities, systematically stripping Punjab’s elected leadership of all powers.”
He raised alarm over the growing influence of non-Punjabi, unelected figures such as Seema Bansal, Shoikat Roy, Anurag Kundu, and Vaibhav Maheshwari—individuals with no stake in Punjab’s future, yet occupying critical decision-making roles. “These people were not chosen by Punjab. They were sent by Delhi, and their mission is clear: exploit Punjab to bankroll Kejriwal’s political ambitions.”
Bajwa further cautioned that this creeping control is laying the groundwork for controversial land pooling schemes that may bypass the cabinet and endanger the rights of farmers. “This is not reform—it’s a land grab in the name of governance.”
Concluding his statement, Bajwa said, “This is no longer about politics. It is about Punjab’s dignity, its autonomy, and its future. What more proof do we need that the man elected by the people—Bhagwant Mann—is merely playing second fiddle to Delhiwalas.