Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, visited the Kali Bein holy river in Sultanpur Lodhi on 17 July to commemorate the 22nd anniversary of the cleaning of the river, according to The Indian Express.
He stated his intention and announced a campaign to clean all of the rivers and drains in the state, as he drank water from the holy river to show that its safe for consumption.
The government of Punjab also released a photo of Mann drinking a glass of water from the river, and he was also seen in a video scooping the water from the river and swallowing it confidently.
At 22nd anniversary function of cleaning of holy Kali Bein, CM @BhagwantMann announced statewide campaign to clean all rivers & drains in the state. CM said that while there is no dearth of funds for this noble cause, he called upon people to support it & make it a mass movement. pic.twitter.com/BAL5uqxIaS
— Government of Punjab (@PunjabGovtIndia) July 17, 2022
He later experienced severe stomachache 2 days later on 19 July at his home in Chandigarh, and was subsequently sent to hospital.
He was airlifted to a hospital in Delhi and the government tries to keep the news a secret, conveying Mann to hospital for emergency treatment without his security personnel.
News of his hospitalisation was also not confirmed by the Chief Minister’s Office, with an official even claiming that he was healthy and well with a full day of activities ahead of him.
But sources claimed that Mann was sent to hospital for drinking water from the Kali Bein river.
He was later discharged from the hospital on 21 July, where he was diagnosed with an infection, according to The New Indian Express.
Punjab Chief Minister openly drinks a glass of polluted water from a ‘holy river’ to prove that water is clean. Now admitted to hospital. pic.twitter.com/MH1OLwUlUw
— Ashok Swain (@ashoswai) July 21, 2022