CHANDIGARH: A political row has erupted in Punjab after a series of appointments made by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) led government drew critisim from the opposition. The appointment of Shaleen Mitra, an Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to former Delhi Cabinet Minister Satyendar Jain, as the OSD to Punjab Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh.
This comes just days after two other Delhi-based party leaders, Reena Gupta and Deepak Chauhan, were appointed as chairpersons of the Punjab Pollution Control Board and Punjab Large Industrial Development Board, respectively.
The opposition questioned the government over these appointments and claimed that the appointment of individuals from outside the state on important administrative roles is harming the Punjabi pride. They allege that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has "surrendered Punjab to the Delhi leadership"
Mitra was also the project manager of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission. A photograph of Mitra sitting with Punjab Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh in a meeting went viral yesterday.
Last month, Gupta, who was the spokesperson of AAP Delhi and former secretary of the Delhi unit of the party, became the first woman to be appointed as the chairperson of the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB). She had earlier worked with Rajya Sabha Member Sandeep Pathak. Both appointments had sparked a political furore in the state.
Senior Congress leader and leader of opposition Pratap Singh Bajwa took to social media asking why Punjab was being “remote-controlled” from Delhi, "AAP govt appoints Delhi neta Satyendar Jain’s PA Shaleen Mitra as OSD to Punjab Cabinet Minister Dr Balbir Singh. Why is Punjab being remote-controlled from Delhi? Jobs for Punjabis or rewards for Delhi aides? @BhagwantMann surrendered Punjab to Delhi wallas,’’ Bajwa wrote on X.
Also, Congress MLA Sukhpal Khaira wrote on X, "I urge @BhagwantMann & @Arvind Kejriwal to explain as per vedio 125 @AamAadmiparty people who’ve been deputed from Delhi to keep watch on different departments and ministers of Punjab from where are they getting their salaries, perks and other daily expenditure like houses, care, fuel etc?Is this money coming from all ill-gotten wealth earned through corrupt means?’’
In another tweet earlier, Khaira wrote, "This is how @ArvindKejriwal is remote controlling the Punjab government! Below is the appointment of Shaleen Mitra as OSD to Health Minister @AAPbalbir! -@ArvindKejriwal has slow by slow captured all vital positions in Punjab, and @BhagwantMann is just a “Dummy” CM has been kept to tell jokes, dance around, cut ribbons, enjoy his security and cavalcade of cars !”
Utilising the opportunity the Shiromani Akali Dal hit at the government on its X handle, the party posted, "Another shocking development. Jailed Delhi Aam Aadmi Party minister Satyendra Jain’s OSD Shaleen Mitra will now be OSD to the Punjab Health minister. This effectively means this ministry has also been taken over by the corrupt AAP leadership of Delhi. It seems the AAP leadership wants to expedite the loot of Punjab, knowing well that its countdown to being ousted from power has started. The Shiromani Akali Dal is committed to unmasking and punishing each & every corrupt deed once it assumes power in the State.”
While the ruling AAP government and it’s leadership hit back at the opposition.
Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Cheema wrote on X, “Wasn’t Prashant Kishor’s appointment as Chief Advisor to CM a blow to ‘Punjab’s Pride’? An outsider was handed reins with no accountability, no questions then. @Partap_Sbajwa is now crying foul over an OSD which is pure hypocrisy. AAP is here to deliver, not outsource governance.”
AAP spokesperson Neel Garg wrote on X, “When @INCIndia made Prashant Kishor the de facto CM of Punjab, not a single question was raised. No accountability. No protest. Silence from @Partap_Sbajwa. Arusa Alam a Pakistani agent, had free access to the CM Office under Congress rule — no files moved without her ‘approval’. Bhupesh Baghel, Congress leader of Chhattisgarh, is Punjab’s Congress Prabhari — a clear message that Punjab Congress is on remote control. This is not about governance. This is about Congress’s entitlement. #AAP is not Congress. We don’t outsource Punjab, we empower Punjabis. We are building systems, not sycophancy.”