No FIR details, no clarity: Pathak breaks silence; BJP alleges vendetta

Chandigarh/New Delhi: A day after reports of two FIRs under non-bailable sections in Punjab, Rajya Sabha MP Sandeep Pathak on Sunday addressed a press conference in Delhi, saying he had no "official or unofficial information" about any such cases.Pathak said he had been waiting for a copy of the FIRs to respond. "Since yesterday, there have been reports that two FIRs have been registered against me. Till now, I have no information about them. I can only react after going through the FIR," he said, adding it was "possible" the cases may have been filed by "misusing govt machinery". Punjab Police remained silent on the issue for the second consecutive day, neither confirming nor denying the registration of FIRs. A senior officer described the situation as "radio silence", while another suggested details may have been withheld, making it difficult for the accused to seek anticipatory bail. The press conference came on a day when Punjab BJP leaders led by state president Sunil Jakhar met governor Gulab Chand Kataria, alleging "political vendetta" and misuse of agencies following Pathak's switch to the BJP. The party sought an impartial probe, citing recent action against Trident Group owner and MP Rajinder Gupta as part of a pattern targeting defectors. The BJP also flagged concerns over alleged bias in security cover decisions and demanded action over opposition claims that chief minister Bhagwant Mann attended the May 1 assembly session in an inebriated state. This charge has been denied by AAP. The controversy comes amid political churn after six AAP Rajya Sabha MPs from Punjab and one from Delhi defected to the BJP. The state govt, which recently won a trust vote in the assembly, has maintained that it retains majority support. Pointing out that there "appears to be disturbing pattern in the allocation and withdrawal of police security in Punjab, suggesting political bias rather than objective threat assessment", the BJP's memorandum submitted to the governor noted: "The security cover of five Rajya Sabha members who joined the BJP was withdrawn abruptly. In contrast, the security cover of MLA Raman Arora, despite being arrested in a corruption case, was reportedly restored after he attended the first May 1 session of Punjab Assembly and voted in favour of the AAP govt."Raghav Chadha to also meet President on May 5Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha, who is among the six AAP MPs from Punjab who merged with the BJP, will meet President Droupadi Murmu on May 5. It is the same day CM Mann is scheduled to meet her to seek "recall" of defected MPs. One of teh defected MPs said Chadha had been given time to meet the President at 10.40am, before Punjab CM Mann meets her at noon. He said Chadha would "raise the issue of political vendetta against the MPs who merged with the BJP" and that "MPs facing political vendetta are likely to accompany him".
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