Bhagwant Mann says BMW will set up manufacturing unit in Punjab; BMW rebuts with a no embarrassing the government.

Sreevatsa Vembar September 16, 2022

Chief Minister of Punjab Bhagwant Mann is on a week-long visit to Germany, where he met many industry leaders to bring investment to his state. He visited the BMW headquarters on Tuesday and soon after an official statement was released saying that BMW had agreed to set up a manufacturing plant in Punjab.

“The efforts of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to rope in major investments from Germany bore fruit on Tuesday as leading auto giant BMW agreed to set up its auto part manufacturing unit in the state”, stated the government press release.

The efforts of CM @BhagwantMann to rope in major investments from Germany bore fruit as leading auto giant @BMW agreed to set up its auto part manufacturing unit in state. CM showcased Punjab govt’s exemplary work to promote industry after which BMW agreed to set up unit in state pic.twitter.com/TiCAfqFnD0
— Government of Punjab (@PunjabGovtIndia) September 13, 2022

However, BMW contradicted the same on Wednesday and issued a statement saying that “it is firmly committed to its Indian operations with its manufacturing plant in Chennai, a parts warehouse in Pune, a training center in Gurgaon”, apart from its well-developed dealer network across major Indian cities. “But it has no plans for setting up additional manufacturing operations in Punjab,” the statement said.

AAP came up with a meek defense and unconvincing justification for the same, AAP spokesperson Malwinder Singh said Mr. Mann met BMW officials at the Germany head office and when he offered a plant set-up, BMW agreed to it. “But it takes time for processes to happen. BMW has agreed to visit Punjab in February 2023 for a meeting.

The previous government has had MoUs gone into the dustbin,” the spokesperson said. “Previous chief minister would go abroad and buy dry fruit trees, but for the first time Bhagwant Mann has gone and brought big investment,” the spokesperson said.

Opposition leaders slammed Bhagwant Mann for his fake claims. The Bhagwant Mann government is habitual of making fake claims and this development was also one of such examples. Mann has gone on a private trip to Germany rather than seeking fresh investments into Punjab, said BJP leader Tarun Chugh. Shiromani Akali Dal leader Daljit Singh Cheema asked the chief minister to bring all facts on record.