Political Row Erupts Over FIR Against Partap Bajwa; BJP Joins Congress in Support

• Apr 15, 2025

A political storm has erupted in Punjab following the registration of an FIR against Leader of the Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa by the Punjab Police. The FIR was filed over Bajwa’s recent statement claiming that “50 bombs had reached Punjab.” While the Congress leadership has firmly stood by Bajwa, the unexpected support from senior BJP leader Manoranjan Kalia has added weight to his defense.

Speaking at an Ambedkar Jayanti event, Kalia criticized the state government for targeting politicians over the information they share publicly. “If Bajwa is being booked for revealing sensitive information, then AAP minister Mohinder Bhagat should also face an inquiry. He too had publicly mentioned the alleged involvement of Lawrence Bishnoi and Shehzad Bhatti in a recent bomb blast case even before the police made it official,” Kalia stated.

Kalia also took a dig at Bhagat for referring to Bishnoi as ‘ji’ during a press interaction, questioning the inconsistency in how leaders are being treated. “We can't have different standards for different leaders. If Bajwa can be booked, so can Bhagat,” he added. Kalia was accompanied by BJP leaders Sarabjit Makkar, Avinash Chander, and Sushil Sharma.

Meanwhile, Congress workers staged protests in support of Bajwa. District Congress President (Urban) Hardev S. Laddi Sherowalia and Nakodar Halqa in-charge Dr. Navjot Dahiya led demonstrations that included burning an effigy of the state government, accusing the Punjab Police of acting irresponsibly.

Jalandhar Cantt MLA Pargat Singh also defended Bajwa, stating that the opposition leader’s remarks were already in the public domain via newspapers. “He might have additional information from his own sources. Booking him for that is wrong,” Singh said. He also compared this case to the FIR lodged against former MLA Sheetal Angural in the ‘Operation Lotus’ case, implying a lack of seriousness and political vendetta in the police’s actions.

District Congress Committee (Urban) chief Rajinder Beri, who led the party’s delegation at the Ambedkar Jayanti event, echoed these concerns and called for fair treatment of political leaders across party lines.

The incident has triggered a wider debate on the freedom of political speech and the selective application of legal action, drawing criticism from both opposition and ruling party figures.