Jalandhar: The Punjab unit of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has intensified its campaign against seven Rajya Sabha members who defected to the BJP, deploying imagery of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to brand them 'traitors' of the state.
The strategy, which appears restricted to Punjabi-language social media handles, leverages deep-seated regional apprehensions regarding Hindutva politics to discredit the MPs. On Saturday, AAP Punjab's Facebook page published a poster titled 'Punjab de gaddar' (traitors of Punjab), depicting the seven defecting lawmakers in khaki shorts — the traditional uniform of the RSS — while performing the organisation's signature salutation.
By Sunday, the campaign expanded to target Raghav Chadha, with posters labeling him a 'U-turn icon' rather than a 'youth icon', again utilising the khaki shorts imagery. The use of RSS-linked visuals appears to be a deliberate, Punjab-specific tactic. These posts were absent from AAP's national social media accounts and its Instagram platforms.
Analysts suggest the move exploits a unique political landscape where the Sikh community and its institutions have viewed the RSS with suspicion historically. In Punjab's religious and political discourse, accusing an opponent of being an 'RSS agent' is a common and potent slur. Even the Shiromani Akali Dal has alleged recently that the RSS-BJP alliance is trying to seize control of gurdwara bodies outside the state.
Platform-Specific Attacks
The party has prioritised Facebook for these visuals, as the platform dominates the Punjabi and Sikh digital spheres and remains a primary driver of community narratives.
While the state unit's X (formerly Twitter) handle also shared the posters, the party's national leadership has maintained a distance from the imagery. This suggests a bifurcated strategy: maintaining a broader national appeal while utilising localised, high-impact cultural symbols to isolate defectors within Punjab.
