Punjab Cabinet meeting deferred after CM Mann falls ill; Kejriwal visits flood-hit areas

AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal during a visit to flood-hit areas of Punjab of September 4. (Image: Videograb | X/@ArvindKejriwal)

The meeting of the Punjab Cabinet, which was to be chaired by Bhagwant Mann here on Friday, has been postponed after the chief minister fell ill, officials said.

Mann has been admitted to hospital after he complained of after he complained of exhaustion and low heart rate on Friday evening, a statement issued by a hospital in Mohali said. Mann has been admitted to Fortis Hospital, Mohali.

The meeting was expected to focus on the ongoing relief and rescue operations in the state, which has been severely affected by floods.

Punjab has been reeling from severe floods, with the death toll rising to 43 and agricultural damage reported across 1.71 lakh hectares on Thursday.

According to sources, Chief Minister Mann has viral fever and some digestion-related issues, but he is now recuperating.

Following news of his illness, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal visited Mann on Thursday to check on his health at his official residence.

Kejriwal arrived in Punjab on Wednesday evening to assess the flood situation and was originally scheduled to visit affected areas alongside the chief minister.

However, in Mann's absence, Kejriwal later proceeded to visit flood-hit areas in Sultanpur Lodhi in Kapurthala district.