Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann dismissed allegations that he attends assembly sessions in a drunk state during a recent interview [1].
The response addresses a persistent political narrative used by opponents to question the leader's fitness for office and his conduct during official legislative duties.
Speaking at the NDTV Nava Punjab Summit in Chandigarh, Mann addressed the claims by questioning the physical possibility of such a habit over a long period. "If I drank day and night for 14 years, would I be alive?" Mann said [1].
The chief minister noted that these accusations have been a recurring theme in his political career. He said his political opponents have repeated the claim for 14 years [1] without any other issues to raise against him.
Mann's comments were aimed at refuting the repeated assertions that he is intoxicated while performing his legislative duties [2]. The chief minister said the allegations reflect a lack of substantive criticism from his rivals, suggesting that the focus on his personal habits serves as a substitute for policy-based opposition.
By framing the 14-year duration of the claims as a biological impossibility, Mann sought to invalidate the credibility of the accusations. He said the persistence of the rumor does not equate to evidence of the behavior [1].
“"If I drank day and night for 14 years, would I be alive?"”
The chief minister's decision to address these specific allegations publicly suggests an attempt to neutralize a long-term character attack. By using a rhetorical argument based on health and longevity, Mann is shifting the focus from the behavior itself to the perceived absurdity of the claim, aiming to diminish the political capital his opponents gain from the narrative.
