Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon on Monday accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government of allegedly misusing the Punjab School Education Board's (PSEB) official WhatsApp channel to publicise a protest organised by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) in Delhi against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Dhillon claimed that a poster promoting the demonstration had appeared on the education board's official messaging channel, which has approximately 4.48 lakh followers, raising questions about the use of a government-linked communication platform for political purposes.
The BJP leader demanded an impartial investigation into the alleged incident and called upon the Punjab chief minister and education minister to explain how political material was circulated through a channel intended for educational and administrative information.
๐ฃ๐ผ๐น๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ด๐ฒ๐ฑ๐น๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ
According to Dhillon, the purported poster featured a photograph of CJP founder Abhijit Deepke and promoted the party's protest against the Chief Election Commissioner in the national capital.
"The circulation of this poster has raised serious questions about the functioning of the Education Department," Dhillon said, demanding an explanation from the state government.
He questioned why material relating to a political demonstration had appeared on a communication channel primarily used to circulate information about school examinations, admissions, holidays and official departmental notifications.
The BJP leader alleged that the incident amounted to the use of an educational institution's communication infrastructure to advance a political agenda.
The claim regarding the poster's circulation could not be independently verified from the information provided.
๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ ๐น๐ถ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ
Dhillon said the purported poster contained four demands relating to the Election Commission and the electoral process.
According to him, the first demand called for halting upcoming elections and restoring the electoral rolls as they existed in January 2025.
The second sought repeal of the 2023 law governing the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner and the introduction of new legislation.
The third demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, while the fourth called for an immediate suspension of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the constitution of an inquiry committee.
Dhillon questioned the relevance of these political demands to the functioning of the state's education department.
He asked why a platform intended to serve students, teachers and parents was allegedly being used to circulate material concerning electoral disputes and demonstrations.
๐๐๐ฃ ๐พ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ ๐ผ๐ณ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐
The Punjab BJP chief sought to know who had authorised the circulation of the poster and whether the official WhatsApp channel was subject to any monitoring or content verification.
He said the channel's substantial following made it important for the education authorities to ensure that only relevant and authorised information was shared.
Dhillon also questioned whether any internal mechanism existed to scrutinise material before publication and how the purported political poster had been allowed to appear on the platform.
He argued that the alleged incident raised broader concerns about administrative accountability and the appropriate use of government communication channels.
The BJP leader further asked whether political issues relating to elections and the Election Commission would now be introduced into the education department's official communications.
๐๐บ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฑ
Demanding an impartial inquiry, Dhillon said the government should establish who was responsible for the alleged circulation and whether any official procedures had been violated.
He maintained that a communication platform trusted by students, parents and teachers should not be used to publicise political campaigns.
The BJP leader called upon the state government to clarify the circumstances surrounding the purported post and take appropriate action if any misuse was established.
There was no response from the AAP government or the Punjab School Education Board in the material available.
The allegations remain unverified, and it is not established whether the purported poster was uploaded through an authorised account, circulated without permission or shared under other circumstances.