Punjab Congress president Pargat Singh and Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa on Monday launched a scathing attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) following the defection of three of its legislators to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), predicting that several more leaders would leave the ruling party in the coming days.
Addressing a press conference in Chandigarh, the Congress leaders described AAP as a “sinking ship” and questioned the credibility of those switching political affiliations. They said the Congress had no interest in inducting leaders who had remained silent on Punjab's issues while in power or whose conduct and political track records were questionable.
The remarks came after three AAP legislators, Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra and Chetan Singh Jouramajra, joined the BJP in New Delhi on Monday, dealing a political setback to the Bhagwant Mann-led government ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections.
The defections came days after AAP announced its first list of 40 candidates for the upcoming Assembly elections. The development has intensified political activity in the state, with the BJP seeking to expand its presence in Punjab.
Congress questions AAP leaders' records
Pargat compared AAP to a wall of sand, arguing that the party would eventually collapse once a few bricks began to come loose. He alleged that some leaders facing questions over mining and other activities were now moving towards the BJP to escape accountability.
He maintained that changing political parties would not absolve these leaders of responsibility for their actions during nearly five years in government.
The Punjab Congress chief also said his party had no use for “silent” leaders who had failed to raise their voices on issues concerning the state during their tenure in power. He questioned why such leaders should be considered politically acceptable simply because they had decided to leave AAP.
Bajwa questions Kunwar Vijay Pratap over Maur blast case
Bajwa questioned AAP's treatment of Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, a former IPS officer whom the ruling party had projected as one of its prominent faces.
He alleged that despite being presented as a poster boy, Kunwar had not been allowed to speak freely or function effectively during nearly five years of AAP rule.
Bajwa asked Kunwar to explain what investigation had been conducted and what action had been taken in the Maur bomb blast case.
He also questioned Kunwar's position if the BJP entered into an alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in the future. Referring to Kunwar's earlier allegations against Akali leaders over sacrilege cases, Bajwa asked whether he would be willing to join hands with those he had previously held responsible.
Kunwar, who had joined AAP ahead of the 2022 Assembly elections after taking premature retirement from the police service, had also been critical of the party government's handling of sacrilege-related investigations. AAP suspended him in June 2025 over alleged anti-party activities.
Congress alleges Delhi leadership controls Punjab government
The Congress leaders also accused AAP's national leadership in Delhi of exercising excessive influence over the functioning of the Punjab government.
Pargat alleged that the party had replicated its Delhi model in Punjab, sidelining the state's political leadership and undermining the self-respect of Punjabis while retaining control over the government from the national capital.
He argued that Punjab's elected leadership had been deprived of the authority to independently address issues concerning the state, with key decisions allegedly being influenced by the party leadership in Delhi.
The Congress leaders' attack comes amid growing political manoeuvring in Punjab ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections, with the defections providing the opposition parties an opportunity to question the stability and functioning of the AAP government.