Baghel asks workers to beware of ‘traitors’ within Punjab Congress

Noisy scenes in Punjab Assembly over paper leaks

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann speaks in the House on the opening day of the Punjab Assembly session, in Chandigarh, Punjab on Monday (August 3, 2026).

| Photo Credit: PTI

The Punjab Assembly on Monday (August 3, 2026) witness noisy scenes as Congress MLAs from the Opposition benches raised the issue surrounding alleged repeated paper leaks in the State, even as the State Assembly passed a censure motion by voice vote against repeated paper leaks under the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Union government across the country.Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said, “Repeated paper leaks under the BJP-led union government had shattered the aspirations of crores of students, while those seeking justice were met with tear gas shells, pellet guns and police action instead of accountability.”The State government would forward the censure motion to the Prime Minister’s Office, the Union Ministry of Education and the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, Mr. Mann said, urging the Centre to take stringent measures to prevent paper leaks and restore the credibility of the country’s education system.“Those who have been claiming to make the country a Vishwaguru have made a mockery of the education system by failing to check the repeated paper leaks across the country. Paper leaks, or in other words, the selling of examination papers, shatter the dreams of the aspirants. A reflection of this is that 22 candidates of the NEET examination committed suicide. From 2014, ever since the BJP regime assumed charge of office, 93 paper leaks have taken place in the country,” the CM added.Earlier, during the Question Hour, Leader of the Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa raised the issue of alleged multiple examination paper leaks in Punjab over the last four-and-a-half years under the Aam Aadmi Party regime.Resignation soughtMr. Bajwa alleged that as many as six exam paper leak incidents took place during the AAP regime, hence Education Minister Harjot Bains should resign. He also sought resignation of Health Minister Balbir Singh, surrounding the recent cheating racket unearthed during the pharmacy officer recruitment examination.The Congress MLAs rushed to the Well of the House and raised slogans against the government, seeking resignation of both the ministers. Follwoing this, the House was briefly adjourned. Published - August 04, 2026 03:51 am IST

Noisy scenes in Punjab Assembly over paper leaks

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann speaks in the House on the opening day of the Punjab Assembly session, in Chandigarh, Punjab on Monday (August 3, 2026).

| Photo Credit: PTI

Congress leader and former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel.

| Photo Credit: PTI

Amid its ongoing mass mobilisation programme at the booth level in the run-up to the 2027 Assembly poll, Congress’s general secretary in-charge for Punjab Bhupesh Baghel on Monday (August 3, 2026) cautioned party workers to stay alert against “traitors within the party who could cause serious damage”.Addressing the gathering in Bathinda, he said the next elections will not be fought by the candidates alone, but by the entire party’s rank and file, underlining the need for strengthening the organisation at the grassroots level.Warning against the “traitors within”, he quoted senior party leader Rahul Gandhi, who he said often “warned against the sleeper cells of other parties within the Congress”. The event was disrupted after a section of party workers boycotted it and raised slogans in support of Mr. Channi. Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, though, hailed the raising of slogans in favour of Mr. Channi, saying “he was one of the senior and most respected leaders of the party”.‘Remove AAP government’Mr. Baghel said it was important to defeat and get rid of the Aam Aadmi Party government, which had not only pushed the State into anarchy, but had looted and robbed the State as well. He added that nobody was feeling safe in Punjab as “gangsters were running the roost and people were getting killed in broad daylight”.The conspicuous absence of Mr. Channi, who is believed to be upset with the party’s revamp, from the event along with leaders from his ‘camp’, has triggered questions over the party’s internal cohesion. Published - August 04, 2026 02:23 am IST

Baghel asks workers to beware of ‘traitors’ within Punjab Congress

Noisy scenes in Punjab Assembly over paper leaks

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