"If I drank day and night for 14 years, would I still be alive?" Bhagwant Singh Mann launched that question into the NDTV studio. He paced the set, his voice steady as reporters leaned in. The remark wasn't one of apology; it was a challenge to a narrative that has haunted him since 2012.
The story started with a single claim: the chief minister attends assembly sessions in a drunken state. For years, political rivals have repeated the line, even as Mann began his parliamentary career in 2014 and climbed to the state’s top job. The repetition alone is enough to keep the rumor alive, though it never turned into a concrete charge. Mann dismissed it outright, saying opponents have “no other issues or talking points” to press him on. That lack of substance, he argued, reveals the accusation’s weakness.
He didn’t hold back. "Let me ask you: if you know someone who drinks day and night for 14 years, are they still alive?" Mann asked, eyebrows drawn. "Do they think I've got a liver made of iron?" He tossed in a wild one‑liner for effect, turning the claim into a mockery. The question didn't answer the rumor; it turned it into a joke. He said the rumors come from enemies who see no other ammunition.
The man is not alone in fighting character attacks. Punjab has seen other leaders slapped with substance‑use rumors—Sikh political figure Sukhbir Badal faced whispers about opium, for instance. Such allegations are often used as smokescreens, masking more serious grievances. Whether this is a new tangle or an old trick, Mann’s reaction shows how politicians mobilize public perception. He slammed the accusations as “character assassination,” a sharp label that implies motive rather than fact.
The arena of Punjab politics isn't new to scandals. Yet the presence of the NDTV Nava Punjab summit—an event that draws headlines, protests, and media glare—provides a backdrop where every word counts. The buzzing crowd may not have seen an alternative narrative, but Mann’s retort paints a different picture. It invites viewers to question: when a rumor persists for a decade and a half, does that make it true, or does it merely prove persistent bias?
What’s next for Mann, or for any leader under such scrutiny, remains unclear. In an age where social media amplifies every whisper, a rumor can take on a life of its own. Whether the rumor survives its own ridicule or shatters under the weight of skepticism is a question many will keep asking.
