A political face-off in Punjab is set to reach Rashtrapati Bhavan on Monday as rival camps led by Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann seek to meet the President within hours of each other. The development comes amid a growing row over defections and alleged police action.
Chadha and Mann to Meet President
Raghav Chadha, among the seven Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MPs who switched to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on April 24, is scheduled to meet President Droupadi Murmu at 10:40 am. This will be followed by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's meeting at noon, where he is expected to seek a recall of the defectors. Some MPs are expected to accompany Chadha, who plans to raise concerns over alleged political vendetta.
FIRs Against Sandeep Pathak
The confrontation has intensified following reports of two First Information Reports (FIRs) with non-bailable charges against Rajya Sabha MP Sandeep Pathak. Pathak stated he had no information about the cases but suggested a misuse of government machinery, adding that he would respond after reviewing copies of the FIRs. AAP spokesperson Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal also said he had no information. Punjab police have not confirmed the reports for a second day, with officers maintaining radio silence. A senior lawyer noted that an accused could still seek anticipatory bail in such cases.
BJP Allegations and Governor's Role
Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav did not respond to queries. Meanwhile, BJP functionaries met Governor Gulab Chand Kataria, alleging that the FIRs were filed as political retaliation after the AAP MPs' defection. They sought an impartial probe and cited action against Trident Group owner and MP Rajinder Gupta as an example of alleged bias.
The political drama underscores the deepening rift between the ruling AAP and the BJP in Punjab, with both sides accusing each other of undermining democratic norms.
