Punjab Assembly Passes Resolution on SIR, Bhagwant Mann Targets Centre Over Voter Deletions and Agency Raids

October 23, 2026

Chandigarh: The Punjab Legislative Assembly on Friday passed a resolution raising concerns over the deletion of voters’ names during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann accused the Centre of weakening democratic institutions and alleged that central agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) were being used against opposition leaders.

The resolution called for an independent and impartial inquiry into alleged irregularities in the electoral rolls and the functioning of the Election Commission under Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. It also sought accountability if the investigation found evidence of criminal wrongdoing. The House called on the Centre to ensure that the Election Commission functions independently and remains accountable.

Speaking in the Assembly, Mann said Punjab had a history of raising its voice against injustice and would continue to do so. He questioned how democracy could function properly if eligible voters were unable to exercise their voting rights.

“Earlier, people used to elect governments, but now governments are ‘electing’ the voters,” Mann said, alleging that the deletion of names was being used to influence electoral outcomes.

He claimed that around 14 crore votes had been deleted during the revision process and raised concerns about delays in registering new voters. His remarks came amid opposition parties’ wider criticism of the SIR exercise.

Mann Accuses Centre of Using ED and CBI Against Opposition

The Chief Minister also targeted the Centre over the timing of raids and investigations involving opposition leaders. He alleged that the ED and CBI often become active around elections and claimed that cases against political leaders sometimes lose momentum once the polls are over.

Mann said such actions had now reached Punjab and accused the Centre of using investigative agencies to put pressure on opposition parties.

He also questioned the functioning of the Election Commission and referred to allegations of large-scale voter deletions in several states. Mann claimed that the electoral process was being manipulated and cited elections in Haryana, Maharashtra, Assam and Bihar to question how voter lists were being handled. These claims were made by the Chief Minister during his Assembly address.

The Punjab government’s resolution specifically focused on alleged irregularities in electoral rolls and the need for an inquiry into the Election Commission’s functioning.

Mann Raises Airport Incident and Questions CEC

Mann also returned to the recent incident at Delhi airport after his visit to France. He said he had been invited to attend an international food event where Punjab’s Markfed had set up a stall, but his visit had faced hurdles.

According to Mann, he was stopped at the airport for around two hours after returning to India and was later issued a fine of Rs 50,000. He claimed officials told him they were under pressure from higher authorities. Mann also questioned the role of the Customs department and linked the incident to his criticism of the Election Commission.

The Chief Minister further accused the Centre of acting against opposition leaders while raising concerns about the use of the National Security Act against a 15-year-old girl. His remarks were part of a wider attack on what he described as pressure on political opponents.

Uproar in House as Congress MLAs Raise Drug Crisis

The Assembly proceedings also witnessed an uproar after Congress MLAs arrived wearing black cloth around their necks and demanded that issues concerning Punjab be discussed first. Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan assured them that their concerns would be taken up, but the Question Hour began, prompting Congress members to raise slogans.

Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema then targeted the Congress over its record on the drug problem in Punjab. He accused the party of failing to tackle drug abuse when it was in power and questioned its criticism of the present government.

The confrontation came a day after Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira was suspended for the remainder of the ongoing session following a resolution moved by Cheema. Congress legislators later boycotted the House.

Outside the Assembly, Leader of the Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa accused the Bhagwant Mann government of failing to control drug-related deaths and raised the case of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota.

Chief Minister Mann, meanwhile, criticised the Congress walkout and said the Opposition should remain in the House to take part in debates and question the government.

Akali Dal MLA Raises Party Registration Issue

Shiromani Akali Dal MLA Manpreet Singh Ayali also questioned the Election Commission over the registration of his party, Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De). He alleged that despite completing the required process, the party had not been registered and had not been allotted an election symbol.

Ayali accused the poll body of acting in favour of the BJP-led Centre and demanded an inquiry. He said his party was prepared to launch a protest if the matter was not resolved.

The Assembly also saw Dera Bassi MLA Kuljit Singh Randhawa raise concerns over the lack of canal water in his constituency. He said groundwater levels had fallen sharply and alleged that a promise to improve water supply had not been fulfilled. The minister concerned said the project was large and that the land acquisition process would begin soon.

The day’s proceedings reflected the growing political confrontation between the AAP government and the Opposition, with the SIR exercise, central agencies, drug-related deaths and local development issues all coming under discussion.