A political controversy erupted over reports that Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was deplaned from a flight at Frankfurt airport recently, with the AAP defending its leader saying the opposition leaders are "spreading propaganda."
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal took to social media to tweet a media report and said, "Disturbing media reports quoting co-passengers say Pb CM @BhagwantMann was deplaned from Lufthansa flight as he was too drunk to walk. And it led to a 4-hour flight delay. He missed AAP's national convention."
He said such reports have "embarrassed and shamed Punjabis all over the globe."
In another tweet, he said the Punjab government is silent over these reports involving the chief minister and asked AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal to come clean on the issue.
He further asked the government of India to intervene and raise the issue with Germany as it involves "Punjab and national pride."
The Congress too did not miss out on the chance to target the AAP with the Delhi unit of the party, in a tweet, calling it "A big shame."
According to media reports, the Punjab chief minister was in Germany for an eight-day visit from September 11 to 18 to attract investments to the state.
He, however, had to make last-minute changes in his return journey from Frankfurt as he was reportedly under the weather. It was this rescheduling at the last minute which led to rumours that he was deplaned at Frankfurt airport from a Lufthansa flight.
“Mann was a little unwell and he would catch a flight later tonight from Frankfurt and would be back,” The Hindu had quoted AAP leader Chander Suta Dogra as saying.
According to NDTV, AAP spokesperson Malwinder Singh Kang said the chief minister returned on September 19 as scheduled. "All these social media reports are propaganda. The opposition is rattled because Mann is effectively getting some investment from his foreign trip," he said and added that anyone can check this with the airlines.
In a statement, the Lufthansa Group, meanwhile, clarified that the flight departed late because of “a delayed inbound flight and an aircraft change”.