The opposition parties in India's Punjab have strongly criticized State Chief Bhagwant Mann for telling "lies" over BMW company setting up a manufacturing plant in the state.
Two key figures Partap Bajwa and Harsimrat Kaur Badal of the Congress, and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) respectively targetted State Chief Mann through social media.
"Bhagwant Mann must apologise to Punjab & Punjabis for causing huge embarrassment to both through his brazen lie on BMW plant in the state. The BMW rebuttal while CM (State Chief) is still 'on a trip' has made him & his govt a butt of global ridicule. It seems like CM (State Chief) is on holiday not just physically," Badal tweeted on Thursday.
The Congress politician demanded that Mann clear the air on the issue.
"BMW has denied setting up of any plant in Punjab as claimed by Chief Minister (State Chief) Bhagwant Mann. Can the CM (State Chief) clarify his position on this or was he lying to the whole state," Bajwa, Leader of Opposition in the Punjab assembly and Congress politician, said on Twitter.
Badal and Bajwa's attack on Mann came after the BMW Group said in a statement on Wednesday that it wasn't planning to set up an auto part manufacturing unit in Punjab.
"The BMW Group is firmly committed to its Indian operations with its manufacturing plant in Chennai (Tamil Nadu state), a parts warehouse in Pune (Maharashtra state), a training centre in Gurgaon NCR and a well-developed dealer network across major metropolitans of the country. BMW Group India has no plans for setting up additional manufacturing operations in Punjab," the statement read.
Earlier, Punjab government had announced that the German automaker had agreed to expand its manufacturing operations in its state.