Congress MLA from Adampur Sukhwinder Kotli on Friday encountered an unexpected obstacle at the Punjab Civil Secretariat. He was denied entry by the police personnel citing the presence of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann inside for the same.
As he attempted to enter for official business, MLA Kotli was stopped at the gates, which were closed off to all visitors due to the “Chief Minister's presence”. Expressing his dismay, Kotli questioned the rationale behind barring an elected representative from accessing the Secretariat, even to meet with officials or the Chief Minister himself.
“This incident reflects the Chief Minister's disregard for democratic norms and his penchant for VIP culture,” remarked Kotli. “The power seems to have gone to Bhagwant Mann's head, leading to the misuse of authority to suppress opposition voices like mine,” he added.
Kotli emphasized that as an MLA, he should have unrestricted access to government offices for fulfilling his responsibilities and addressing public concerns. He criticized Mann for straying from the ‘Aam Aadmi’ principles his party claims to uphold.
“This is a concerning trend towards authoritarianism,” Kotli added, urging for respect of democratic values and equitable treatment of all elected representatives.
