The Punjab Legislative Assembly on May 1, 2026 descended into chaos as opposition MLAs accused Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann of appearing intoxicated while addressing the House during a special Labour Day session, the first such sitting in 69 years. Congress lawmakers subsequently staged a walkout from the assembly in support of demands for an immediate alcohol test on all legislators present.
The Leader of the Opposition called for the assembly doors to be sealed and for a medical team from the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research to conduct breathalyzer tests on every MLA inside the chamber, so that no member could leave without being examined. Shiromani Akali Dal and BJP leaders also joined the criticism, with several describing the Chief Minister's conduct and language on the floor as unparliamentary.
The Aam Aadmi Party rejected the allegations outright, calling them baseless political mudslinging designed to disrupt a session dedicated to honouring workers and discussing minimum wage reform. AAP stated the opposition's conduct was an attempt to overshadow a historic sitting that was specifically convened to mark the rights and contributions of labourers. No alcohol test was ultimately conducted, and the controversy remains an unverified political accusation.
The allegations were levelled on the floor of the House by Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira and Leader of the Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa, directed at Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann of the Aam Aadmi Party government. This is not the first time such allegations have been made against Mann, who has previously denied having a drinking problem and has in the past challenged critics to conduct blood tests on him.
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