Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann addressed the longstanding allegations of alcoholism during a television interview, stating that for the past 12 years, he has been subjected to allegations claiming that he drinks excessively throughout the day and night.
"Tell me something. Can a person be still alive if they have been drinking day and night for the last 12 years? They are not alive, no? So is my liver made of iron? When they (the opposition) have nothing to point out, they say I am always drinking. I wake up at 6am and ask for the first file. That's how I have already completed so much of work in the last 1.5 years that did not happen in the last 70 years," the Punjab CM said in Aap ki Aadalat show.
During a public rally in January 2019, Bhagwant Mann made a promise to quit drinking in the presence of his mother and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal. However, despite his vow, the label of being an alcoholic continued to haunt him. Last year, the opposition accused Bhagwant Mann of being heavily intoxicated in Germany, resulting in his removal from the plane. According to the allegations, he was unable to walk due to extreme drunkenness, causing a delay in the flight. The AAP dismissed these claims, refuting the allegations made by the opposition.
Bhagwant Mann faced additional allegations of being intoxicated on various occasions, including in Parliament, at a funeral, and a gurdwara.
On Sunday, the Union Home Minister Amit Shah referred to Bhagwant Mann as Kejriwal's pilot and criticized his extensive travels across the country while Punjab's law and order situation continues to worsen.
