BJP MP Sandeep Pathak Likely To Be Arrested After Punjab Police File 2 FIRs

Punjab Police have registered two FIRs under non-bailable sections against Rajya Sabha MP Sandeep Pathak in separate districts of the state. He had switched from the AAP to the BJP, days ago.

"Two FIRs have been registered in Punjab against the Rajya Sabha MP. The cases have been filed in two different districts," an official source told The Tribune.

It comes days after Pathak, along with six other Rajya Sabha MPs including Raghav Chadha, defected from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and merged their group with the BJP. The development has intensified political tensions in Punjab, where the AAP government, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, secured a confidence motion in the Vidhan Sabha on Friday.

Neither Pathak nor the BJP issued an immediate response to the charges, and details of the FIRs remain awaited. However, the BJP has criticised the AAP government's actions, accusing it of weaponising the police against political opponents.

Punjab BJP working president Ashwani Sharma took to X to allege political vendetta. "There is no law in Punjab; now, political vendetta is in effect. Bhagwant Mann and Kejriwal's fear exposed," Sharma wrote. He argued that the timing of the FIRs-registered soon after Pathak's defection-was evidence of the ruling party's misuse of state machinery. "This is not just one case-this is the politics of fear, panic and vendetta," he added, accusing the AAP of silencing dissent through police action.

Echoing the sentiment, BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi criticised the Punjab Police for attempting to raid Pathak's residence. He questioned the priorities of the state government, pointing to what he described as Punjab's deteriorating law and order situation. "Instead of bringing this under control, the Punjab Police today chose to raid Pathak's residence in this manner," Trivedi said, directing sharp criticism at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.