In a sharp political counterattack, Punjab Bharatiya Janata Party working president Ashwani Sharma has demanded that the Congress stop portraying itself as the guardian of democracy, pointing to what he called the party's "dark history" of political manipulation in the state.
Political Confrontation Escalates
The BJP leader's strong remarks came on Monday, November 24, 2025, directly responding to allegations made by Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa just a day earlier. Bajwa had accused the BJP-led central government of using the proposed Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill on Chandigarh as a strategic tool to create confrontation in Punjab.
Sharma specifically targeted the state leader of opposition, asserting that before pointing fingers at the BJP, the Congress must examine the troubling chapters of its own extensive political history in Punjab.
Congress's Historical Record Under Scrutiny
The BJP leader presented a detailed historical perspective, stating that from 1951 to 1992, Punjab experienced repeated turmoil directly linked to Congress's failed political strategies. He emphasized that whether through losing majority support, internal power conflicts, or arbitrary central government interventions, it was consistently the Congress that destabilized Punjab's democratically elected governments.
"Today, having lost political ground, Congress is suddenly talking about democracy and state rights," Sharma remarked, highlighting what he sees as political hypocrisy.
The President's Rule Controversy
Sharma further intensified his criticism by addressing the sensitive topic of President's Rule in Punjab. He revealed that on seven separate occasions when President's Rule was imposed during Congress administrations, these actions were not responses to natural crises but rather results of Congress's "political calculations" and "internal games."
According to the BJP leader, Congress repeatedly deprived Punjab of democratic governance, choosing instead to administer the state through governors to serve its own political interests. This historical pattern, he argued, undermines Congress's current position as a defender of democratic principles.
The political exchange highlights the ongoing tension between the two major parties regarding constitutional amendments and state autonomy, with both sides preparing for potentially extended political battles over Punjab's governance future.
