Rajya Sabha MP Sandeep Pathak, who recently defected from AAP to the BJP along with several other party colleagues, is now facing two FIRs in Punjab on non-bailable offences. Punjab Police registered the two FIRs against Pathak on Saturday in separate districts. Sources indicated that the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government in Punjab could arrest him soon.
The cases were filed days after seven AAP Rajya Sabha MPs — Sandeep Pathak, Raghav Chadha, Harbhajan Singh, Sanjeev Arora, Vikramjit Singh Sahney, Balbir Singh, and Ajeet Singh — merged with the BJP.
The development comes shortly after the Mann-led AAP government in Punjab successfully tabled and won a confidence motion in the Vidhan Sabha.
The controversy erupted after Pathak and the other MPs defected to the Bharatiya Janata Party on April 24 following an internal rift with the party leadership.
The defections have dealt a major blow to AAP’s future political ambitions, especially in Punjab, where Vidhan Sabha polls are due later this year.
Pathak’s ouster has triggered panic in the AAP camp as he was considered one of the main strategists and silent masterminds behind the party’s recent successes. Pathak and others had stayed loyal to AAP for more than a decade.
AAP views his exit as particularly damaging due to his deep knowledge of the party’s organisation, data systems, and strategies, especially in Punjab.
According to latest reports, police reached outside Pathak’s Delhi residence, with videos showing him leaving from the back gate to avoid detention.
The AAP government in Punjab has threatened to raise the issue with President Droupadi Murmu, with Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann securing a meeting on May 5.
The move is expected to trigger further backlash from the party cadre against the defectors, with Raghav Chadha and Sandeep Pathak facing the brunt of it.
Also read: AAP will never break: Mann after winning confidence motion
Follow us
