'Received Letter That Punjab Should Pay...': CM Bhagwant Mann On Military Sent During Pathankot Attack

Speaking in the Assembly, CM Bhagwant Mann said after the letter was sent, he went to meet Union Minister Rajnath Singh.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann (Getty Images)

New Delhi: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday said the state government was sent a Rs 7.5 crore bill for military sent during the 2016 Pathankot attack.

Speaking in the Assembly, Mann said after the letter was sent, he went to meet Union Minister Rajnath Singh.

 

"During Pathankot attack, military came. Later, I received letter that Punjab should pay Rs 7.5 crore as military was sent. Sadhu Singh and I went to Rajnath Singh. Told him to deduct from my MPLAD but give in writing that Punjab isn't country's part and took military from India on rent," CM Bhagwant Mann said.

In a pre-dawn attack on January 2, a group of heavily-armed Pakistani terrorists, suspected to be belonging to Jaish-e-Mohammed terror outfit, struck at the Air Force base in Punjab. Five terrorists and seven Indian army personnel were killed in an ensuing gun battle at the Pathankot airbase.

The attack occurred just days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid a surprise visit to then Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif on his birthday. India has named JeM chief Masood Azhar as the mastermind of the airbase attack.

READ | Punjab Assembly Passes Resolution Seeking Transfer Of Chandigarh To State

Earlier in the day, the Punjab Assembly passed a resolution seeking immediate transfer of Chandigarh to the state. 

Except the BJP, members of all political parties including the AAP, Congress, SAD and the lone BSP legislator came out in support of the resolution. 

In the Assembly, Bhagwant Mann accused the Centre of trying to upset the balance in the administration of the Union Territory and other common assets.

"I want to give a guarantee to the people of Punjab that we will strongly fight and protect state's rights, be it in the Vidhan Sabha or Parliament or on any other platform," Mann said.

The one-day special Assembly session comes days after Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced that central service rules would apply to the employees of Chandigarh. Chandigarh is the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana.