Rajya Sabha MP Sandeep Pathak on Sunday held a press conference in Delhi, stating that he had no official or unofficial information regarding two FIRs reportedly filed against him in Punjab a day earlier. Pathak, who recently switched to the BJP from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), said he had been waiting for a copy of the FIRs to respond appropriately.
Pathak's Response to FIR Reports
Speaking to the media, Pathak said, "Since yesterday, there have been reports that two FIRs have been registered against me. Till now, I have no information about them. I can only react after going through the FIR." He added that it was possible the cases might have been filed by misusing government machinery. The Punjab Police remained silent on the issue for the second consecutive day, neither confirming nor denying the registration of the FIRs. A senior officer described the situation as "radio silence," while another suggested that details may have been withheld to make it difficult for the accused to seek anticipatory bail.
BJP Alleges Political Vendetta
The press conference coincided with a meeting between Punjab BJP leaders, led by state president Sunil Jakhar, and Governor Gulab Chand Kataria. The BJP alleged a pattern of political vendetta and misuse of agencies following Pathak's defection to the party. The party sought an impartial probe, citing recent action against Trident Group owner and MP Rajinder Gupta as part of a broader pattern targeting defectors. The BJP also flagged concerns over alleged bias in security cover decisions and demanded action over opposition claims that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann attended the May 1 assembly session in an inebriated state. AAP has denied these allegations.
Political Churn in Punjab
The controversy comes amid significant political churn after six AAP Rajya Sabha MPs from Punjab and one from Delhi defected to the BJP. The state government, which recently won a trust vote in the assembly, has maintained that it retains majority support. The BJP's memorandum submitted to the governor noted a disturbing pattern in the allocation and withdrawal of police security in Punjab, suggesting political bias rather than objective threat assessment. It stated, "The security cover of five Rajya Sabha members who joined the BJP was withdrawn abruptly. In contrast, the security cover of MLA Raman Arora, despite being arrested in a corruption case, was reportedly restored after he attended the first May 1 session of Punjab Assembly and voted in favour of the AAP government."
Raghav Chadha to Meet President
Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha, another defector from AAP to BJP, is scheduled to meet President Droupadi Murmu on May 5. This is the same day Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is expected to meet her to seek the recall of defected MPs. One of the defected MPs confirmed that Chadha has been given time to meet the President at 10:40 am, before Mann's meeting at noon. Chadha is expected to raise the issue of political vendetta against the MPs who merged with the BJP, and other MPs facing similar situations are likely to accompany him.
