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Political row erupts over reports of FIRs against Rajya Sabha MP Pathak
Reports claim Sandeep Pathak, a Rajya Sabha MP who recently left the AAP for the BJP, has been booked by Punjab Police in two FIRs. The development sparked a political row with the BJP alleging vendetta by the AAP-led Punjab government, while the AAP professed ignorance and said official details were not yet available. Pathak has not publicly confirmed the reports.
Why It Matters
The FIRs against a high-profile defector could affect BJP-AAP dynamics in Punjab ahead of elections and shape political narratives around law-and-order and vendetta claims.
Timeline
4 Events
May 3, 2026 — Reactions from BJP and AAP leaders to FIR reports
May 3, 2026
Punjab BJP leaders accused the AAP government in Punjab of political vendetta. Sunil Jakhar, in a post on X, said the split shows AAP's double standards and claimed the move is an attempt to divert attention from other issues. BJP national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi criticized the police action as misplaced and questioned law-and-order in the state. The AAP claimed it had no official confirmation about the FIRs, while Pathak himself said he had no knowledge of any FIR against him.
May 2, 2026 — FIRs reportedly lodged against Pathak; Delhi raid attempt; Pathak leaves residence
May 2, 2026
Officials aware said two FIRs have been lodged against Pathak under non-bailable sections. A Punjab Police team went to Delhi, but Pathak had already left his residence in an SUV registered in the name of Lovely Group, owned by fellow RS MP Ashok Mittal. Pathak told ANI he has no idea of any FIR against him. AAP spokesperson Neel Garg said the party had learned of the development from media reports and did not have official confirmation.
April 30, 2026 — Punjab Pollution Control Board raids Trident Limited premises
April 30, 2026
A raid by the Punjab Pollution Control Board was conducted at the premises of Trident Limited. Rajinder Gupta is the chairman emeritus of the company and Gupta was one of the seven MPs who quit the AAP and joined the BJP last month.
April 24, 2026 — Seven RS MPs quit AAP to join BJP, including Pathak
April 24, 2026
Pathak is among seven Rajya Sabha MPs who left the AAP and aligned with the BJP on April 24. The others were Raghav Chadha, Rajinder Gupta, Vikramjit Singh Sahney, Harbhajan Singh, Ashok Mittal and Swati Maliwal. The defection reduced the AAP's Rajya Sabha tally from 10 to 3 ahead of Punjab elections; Pathak was closely associated with the AAP's Punjab efforts and credited with contributing to its 2022 assembly win against Congress.