Punjab Assembly chaos: Congress demands alcohol, dope test of CM Bhagwant Mann
Synopsis
Punjab's special Labour Day Assembly session collapsed into pandemonium as Congress demanded breath analyser and dope tests for all MLAs — starting with CM Bhagwant Mann — over allegations about his conduct. The AAP government denied the charges, but Shiromani Akali Dal and BJP piled on, turning a commemorative session into a full-blown political crisis.
Key Takeaways
Punjab Assembly's special Labour Day session on 1 May 2025 descended into chaos over conduct allegations against CM Bhagwant Mann .
Congress Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa formally demanded alcometer and dope tests for all MLAs, starting with the Chief Minister.
Finance Minister Harpal Cheema called the drunk allegations against Mann totally false.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and BJP also condemned the CM's alleged conduct via posts on X.
The Speaker intervened multiple times to restore order; Congress MLAs staged a walkout and later entered the Speaker's office to press their demand.
The Punjab Legislative Assembly was thrown into chaos on Friday, 1 May 2025, during a special one-day session convened to mark International Labour Day, after Indian National Congress MLAs staged a walkout and demanded breath analyser and dope tests of all legislators — including Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann — amid allegations about the CM's conduct inside the House.
What Triggered the Walkout
Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa demanded a closed-door alcohol test for all MLAs inside the Vidhan Sabha after allegations surfaced that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had appeared drunk during proceedings. The Congress insisted that medical verification was necessary to maintain transparency and accountability in the House.
Following the walkout, several Congress MLAs reportedly entered the Speaker's office, pressing their demand for an alcometer test of all legislators, further escalating tensions inside the Assembly complex. The Speaker had to intervene on multiple occasions to maintain decorum.
Bajwa's Formal Letter to the Speaker
In a formal letter to the Speaker on behalf of the Congress Legislative Party (CLP), Bajwa drew attention to what he called a matter of grave concern. He wrote that an incident raised by MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira had brought forth serious concerns regarding the conduct of the Chief Minister, who, according to Bajwa, left the House without replying to allegations made by the member.
Bajwa demanded that alcometer testing of all members present in the House be made mandatory — beginning with the Chief Minister — within one hour, and that comprehensive dope testing of all MLAs across both treasury and opposition benches be conducted without exception.
Government's Rebuttal
Finance Minister Harpal Cheema told the media that the Congress allegations were entirely false. He said,
Point of View
Which keeps the allegation alive. Notably, both the Shiromani Akali Dal and BJP joined the pile-on almost simultaneously, suggesting coordinated opposition messaging. Whether or not the allegations are substantiated, the imagery of pandemonium in a specially convened session is a reputational cost the AAP government in Punjab can ill afford, given its already-strained standing in the state.
NationPress
1 May 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened in the Punjab Assembly on Labour Day 2025?
The Punjab Legislative Assembly's special one-day session on 1 May 2025 to mark International Labour Day descended into pandemonium after Congress MLAs alleged that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann appeared drunk during proceedings and demanded breath analyser and dope tests for all legislators. Congress subsequently staged a walkout.
What did Partap Singh Bajwa demand in his letter to the Speaker?
Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa, writing on behalf of the Congress Legislative Party, demanded mandatory alcometer testing of all MLAs present in the House beginning with the Chief Minister within one hour, and comprehensive dope testing of all legislators across both treasury and opposition benches without exception.
How did the AAP government respond to the drunk allegations against CM Mann?
Finance Minister Harpal Cheema flatly denied the allegations, calling them totally false. He also cited a pending complaint against Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira related to alleged illegal encroachment of Panchayat land, suggesting the accusation was politically motivated.
Did other parties also raise concerns about CM Bhagwant Mann's conduct?
Yes. The Shiromani Akali Dal posted on X calling it a matter of great shame that the Chief Minister had allegedly appeared drunk in the Vidhan Sabha on Labour Day. BJP's state working president Ashwani Sharma also posted on X, calling it a grave insult to the dignity of the legislative Assembly and the office of the Chief Minister.
What is the significance of the special session that was disrupted?
The session was specifically convened to mark International Labour Day on 1 May 2025, intended as a symbolic gesture by the AAP government. The disruption meant that the commemorative agenda was overshadowed entirely by the conduct controversy, turning a planned political statement into a reputational setback.
