Chandigarh: The suspense around Bhagwant Mann's 'big announcement' is over. Day after swearing-in as the Chief Minister of Punjab, Mann has announced an anti-corruption helpline that will be launched on March 23, Shaheed Diwas.
"On the day of Bhagat Singh's martyrdom we will issue anti-corruption helpline number. That will be my personal WhatsApp number. If anyone asks you for a bribe, send me a video / audio recording of it. Strict action will be taken against the corrupt. Corruption will no longer exist in Punjab," Mann tweeted.
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ਭਗਤ ਸਿੰਘ ਜੀ ਦੇ ਸ਼ਹੀਦੀ ਦਿਨ 'ਤੇ ਅਸੀਂ anti-corruption ਹੈਲਪਲਾਈਨ ਨੰਬਰ ਜਾਰੀ ਕਰਾਂਗੇ। ਉਹ ਮੇਰਾ ਨਿੱਜੀ ਵਟਸਐਪ ਨੰਬਰ ਹੋਵੇਗਾ। ਜੇ ਤੁਹਾਡੇ ਤੋਂ ਕੋਈ ਵੀ ਰਿਸ਼ਵਤ ਮੰਗੇ, ਉਸਦੀ ਵੀਡੀਓ/ਆਡੀਓ ਰਿਕਾਰਡਿੰਗ ਕਰਕੇ ਮੈਨੂੰ ਭੇਜ ਦੇਣਾ। ਭ੍ਰਿਸ਼ਟਾਚਾਰੀਆਂ ਦੇ ਖ਼ਿਲਾਫ ਸਖ਼ਤ ਐਕਸ਼ਨ ਲਿਆ ਜਾਵੇਗਾ।
— Bhagwant Mann (@BhagwantMann) March 17, 2022 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
ਪੰਜਾਬ ਵਿੱਚ ਹੁਣ ਭ੍ਰਿਸ਼ਟਾਚਾਰ ਨਹੀਂ ਚੱਲੇਗਾ।
">ਭਗਤ ਸਿੰਘ ਜੀ ਦੇ ਸ਼ਹੀਦੀ ਦਿਨ 'ਤੇ ਅਸੀਂ anti-corruption ਹੈਲਪਲਾਈਨ ਨੰਬਰ ਜਾਰੀ ਕਰਾਂਗੇ। ਉਹ ਮੇਰਾ ਨਿੱਜੀ ਵਟਸਐਪ ਨੰਬਰ ਹੋਵੇਗਾ। ਜੇ ਤੁਹਾਡੇ ਤੋਂ ਕੋਈ ਵੀ ਰਿਸ਼ਵਤ ਮੰਗੇ, ਉਸਦੀ ਵੀਡੀਓ/ਆਡੀਓ ਰਿਕਾਰਡਿੰਗ ਕਰਕੇ ਮੈਨੂੰ ਭੇਜ ਦੇਣਾ। ਭ੍ਰਿਸ਼ਟਾਚਾਰੀਆਂ ਦੇ ਖ਼ਿਲਾਫ ਸਖ਼ਤ ਐਕਸ਼ਨ ਲਿਆ ਜਾਵੇਗਾ।
— Bhagwant Mann (@BhagwantMann) March 17, 2022
ਪੰਜਾਬ ਵਿੱਚ ਹੁਣ ਭ੍ਰਿਸ਼ਟਾਚਾਰ ਨਹੀਂ ਚੱਲੇਗਾ।ਭਗਤ ਸਿੰਘ ਜੀ ਦੇ ਸ਼ਹੀਦੀ ਦਿਨ 'ਤੇ ਅਸੀਂ anti-corruption ਹੈਲਪਲਾਈਨ ਨੰਬਰ ਜਾਰੀ ਕਰਾਂਗੇ। ਉਹ ਮੇਰਾ ਨਿੱਜੀ ਵਟਸਐਪ ਨੰਬਰ ਹੋਵੇਗਾ। ਜੇ ਤੁਹਾਡੇ ਤੋਂ ਕੋਈ ਵੀ ਰਿਸ਼ਵਤ ਮੰਗੇ, ਉਸਦੀ ਵੀਡੀਓ/ਆਡੀਓ ਰਿਕਾਰਡਿੰਗ ਕਰਕੇ ਮੈਨੂੰ ਭੇਜ ਦੇਣਾ। ਭ੍ਰਿਸ਼ਟਾਚਾਰੀਆਂ ਦੇ ਖ਼ਿਲਾਫ ਸਖ਼ਤ ਐਕਸ਼ਨ ਲਿਆ ਜਾਵੇਗਾ।
— Bhagwant Mann (@BhagwantMann) March 17, 2022
ਪੰਜਾਬ ਵਿੱਚ ਹੁਣ ਭ੍ਰਿਸ਼ਟਾਚਾਰ ਨਹੀਂ ਚੱਲੇਗਾ।
Later, in a video message, Mann reminded people that when the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) came to power in Delhi, people were asked to provide videos or audio of corrupt officials. "With this, corruption ended completely in Delhi," he claimed. "In the coming time, we will launch such a helpline number that will be my personal WhatsApp number. If anyone demands a bribe from you, do not refuse it. Record a video or audio of it and send it to this number. I guarantee you, our office will examine it and no corrupt person will be spared and strict action will be taken," he said.
Earlier in the day, Mann had created a lot of suspense when he said that he was going to make a 'big announcement' shortly. Mann, in a tweet, said "no one in the history of Punjab has taken such a decision to date". Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal endorsed Bhagwant Mann's move. "Next time, if someone asks you for a bribe. Don't refuse. Just take out your phone and record the incident and share it on the number that will be released. It will be his (Mann's) personal WhatsApp number. We will initiate strict action against that official," Kejriwal said during an online briefing. He recalled he had done something similar in his first stint in Delhi that lasted 49 days.
"When I had formed the government for the first time, I had also issued a WhatsApp number and during those 49 days, we took action against 30-32 officials by sending them to jail. Corruption was eradicated in Delhi and the phone became the biggest weapon of empowerment of the common public," he said. Kejriwal claimed that the prime minister later issued an order and took away the Anti-Corruption Branch from the AAP dispensation.
"It's been 75 years since we have gained independence but we still have to pay bribes. All parties have indulged in corruption. Aam Aadmi Party is the first party to run an honest government. Kejriwal and his ministers, Mann and his ministers are not corrupt. We don't want 'hafta' (protection money). Just like we eradicated corruption in Delhi, we will end it in Punjab as well," he said. AAP leader Bhagwant Mann took oath Wednesday as Punjab chief minister. The AAP stormed to power after winning 92 seats in the 117-member Punjab Assembly, decimating all rival parties.
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