Chandigarh: It is common knowledge that alcohol has been a persistent issue with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann, who was given the label of a ‘Sharabi’ or a drunkard by his political rivals in Punjab.
The AAP leader’s penchant of showing up drunk at public gatherings – and sometimes, even to the Parliament, is no secret.
However, at an AAP rally in Punjab’s Barnala on Sunday, Mann declared that in pursuit of the “greater good of the masses”, he has decided to give up alcohol. This huge “sacrifice” he said, has been made in the “interest of Punjab.”
The comedian-turned-politician made his political debut with the current Congress finance minister of Punjab, Manpreet Badal, in 2011 to form People’s Party of Punjab (PPP), a rebel outfit created by Badal who had broken away from the Akali fold. He contested against former Punjab CM Rajinder Kaur Bhattal from Lehra (Sangrur) in the 2012 Vidhan Sabha elections.
While Manpreet went on to join the Congress, Mann joined the AAP in early 2014. He was among the four winning leaders, all from Punjab, that got AAP a place in Parliament in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
Mann won the polls with a huge margin of more than two lakh votes from Sangrur, defeating Shiromani Akali Dal veteran and former union minister Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa.
Soon enough, Mann, the rookie party’s biggest crowd puller became a household name in Punjab. In 2011, he had joined Anna Hazare’s movement against corruption, sporting a basanti pagri (yellow turbanas) as he portrayed himself to be a follower of Bhagat Singh.
During his rallies and public speeches, Mann always evoked the legend. Employing his satire and repartee, intertwined with a joke or two, he struck a chord with the masses, especially the youth, who attended his events in large numbers.
However, Mann’s reputation as an alcoholic grew with his popularity. The comedian soon turned into a laughing stock. He started courting controversies, turning up hours late for functions.
In January 2017, during a party gathering in Bathinda, Mann arrived visibly drunk. He did get on to the dais to speak, but ended up spending the first 5 minutes blowing kisses at the audience. Suddenly, his legs gave away and he collapsed on the stage. The moment was captured by the media present and the next day, all major dailies in the region had a picture of a drunk Mann on the front page.
He was even mocked by his former party colleague, Prashant Bhushan, who in a tweet said, "AAP's star performer Mann comes drunk to his own election meetings! AAP increased liquor Vends in Delhi & they promise Nasha Mukt Punjab!"
In July 2016, the Sangrur MP came under attack for drinking from the suspended member of his party and MP Harinder Singh Khalsa who complained to the Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan. In his letter to the Speaker, Khalsa requested to change his seat as Mann, who sat next to him, reeked of alcohol.
Before that in October 2015, Mann was forced to leave a religious ceremony in Faridkot, after he arrived drunk.
Numerous such instances have occurred wherein Mann brought in embarrassment to himself and the party. His opponents never missed an opportunity to target him over his addiction.
However, just before the Lok Sabha polls, it seems that Mann has realized that his image might be an impediment to his electoral success. So in Barnala, the AAP MP revealed that he has given up drinking on his “mother's advice.”
"My political opponents allege that Bhagwant Mann drinks too much and is drunk day and night. It always pained me when I saw old videos of myself on social media where I was being defamed," Mann said at the rally.
Admitting that he used to take liquor occasionally, Mann said that his mother asked him to stop taking liquor. He said he had given up drinking as of January 1 and hoped to stay firm on his resolve for the rest of his life.
“Now they cannot defame me," he added.
Mann’s revelation received accolades from party Chief Arvind Kejriwal who dubbed it a ‘sacrifice for Punjab’.
"Bhagwant Mann has won not only my heart, but also that of the entire Punjab. Every leader should be like him and be ready to make any kind of sacrifice for the people. It is not a small thing to make such a big commitment,” Kejriwal spoke at the rally.