Accepting the demand of Aam Aadmi Party MPs from Punjab, Bhagwant Mann and Prof. Sadhu Singh, the centre government has decided to waive off the bill sent to Punjab government for deploying paramilitary forces during the Pathankot terror attack occured in January this year.In a letter written by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann on July 8, 2016 said that the centre government has considered the demand raised by him. The letter was the reply of Mann’s letter written to Rajnath Singh on March 9, 2016 demanding waive off the bill sent to Punjab by centre regarding Pathankot Attack.
Mann in his letter written to Home Minister Rajnath Singh had said that Punjab is already reeling under the debt of Rs 1.5 Lakh crore and if the centre government thinks that Punjab was not an integral part of India and the Pathankot terror attack was not an assault on the sovereignty and integrity of the country, then both AAP MPs, him and Prof Sadhu Singh were ready to get Rs. 6.35 crore deducted from their MPLAD fund.It may be mentioned that the centre government had sent a bill of Rs. 6.35 crore to Punjab government as payment for the paramilitary forces deployed during the Pathankot terror attack.In his latter, Mann had had also raised the issue of Punjab being treated Step-Motherly by the centre government. He said that Punjab had played a vital role in the freedom struggle and more than any other state Punjabis had been martyred in struggle. He had also showed his annoyance for excluding Sikh Regiment in Republic Day parade.