Opposition parties, including the Congress, BJP and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), launched sharp attacks on Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, his wife Dr Gurpreet Kaur Mann and the ruling AAP government after the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) took cognisance of allegations that relatives of the CM’s wife had allegedly sought Rs 5 crore to suppress a rape case.BJP state chief Kewal Singh Dhillon said the people of Punjab had been betrayed in the name of “change” and accused the AAP government of ruining the state. “Punjab is passing through a serious crisis. Drugs, mounting debt, deteriorating law and order, mafia rule, gangsterism and financial distress have completely disrupted normal life,” he said.Former Chief Minister and Congress leader Charanjit Singh Channi demanded a CBI probe, calling it unfortunate that such conspiracies were allegedly originating from the CM’s residence. “On one hand, the government claims to give Rs 1,000 each to women every month, and on the other, it is demanding Rs 5 crore and sheltering the rape accused,” he said.SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia said it was perhaps the first time in Punjab’s history that the NHRC had taken notice of a rapist being protected. He demanded a CBI probe into the case and said, “There is a serious allegation of Rs 5 crore against the CM and his wife’s relatives. The CM has lost the trust of the people. He should immediately resign on moral grounds.” SAD spokesperson Arshdeep Kaler alleged the AAP was fuelling talks of a SAD-BJP alliance to divert attention from the controversy.Meanwhile, the SAD accused the AAP government of attempting to make a Rs 341-crore cut from the Punjab treasury as commission for raising a Rs 25,000-crore loan, allegedly to fund the 2027 Assembly poll. Senior SAD leader NK Sharma demanded an independent probe, calling the commission unnecessary and a sign of corruption.