Jalandhar: Punjab’s ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) appears to be facing internal pressure following the suicide case of a warehouse District Manager (DM), Gagandeep Randhawa. The controversy has intensified after former minister Laljit Bhullar publicly contradicted claims made by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.

Bhullar, who has been named as an accused in the case, rejected the CM’s statements regarding his resignation and arrest. Meanwhile, CM Mann has been vocal about strict action against corruption but has notably avoided directly naming Bhullar in his statements.

The Punjab government has also not released any official copy of Bhullar’s resignation so far, adding to the ambiguity.

Resignation Row: ‘Asked to Quit’ vs ‘Voluntarily Resigned’
On March 21, CM Mann stated via social media and a press conference in Chandigarh that he had asked the minister to resign to ensure a fair and unbiased investigation. He emphasised that no one should influence witnesses or evidence during the probe.

However, shortly after, Bhullar responded on Facebook, claiming that the allegations against him were false and politically motivated. He said he had voluntarily offered to step down and urged the CM to accept his resignation until the investigation concludes.

Bhullar also reiterated that he wanted a fair probe so that “truth prevails.”

Arrest or Surrender: Another Contradiction
The اختلاف deepened further over Bhullar’s arrest. After reports of his arrest on March 23, CM Mann posted that strict action would be taken against anyone violating the law, regardless of their position, though he did not explicitly mention Bhullar or use the word “arrest.”

In contrast, Bhullar claimed in a social media post that he had not absconded and had instead surrendered voluntarily in Mandi Gobindgarh, expressing faith in the legal system.

Police Confirm Arrest, Not Voluntary Surrender
Amritsar Police, however, contradicted Bhullar’s claim. DCP (Investigation) Ravinderpal Singh stated that Bhullar was arrested from Mandi Gobindgarh with assistance from Fatehgarh Sahib police.

He added that even in cases where an accused claims to have surrendered, it is often under police pressure, reinforcing that this was an arrest operation carried out by law enforcement.

Political Signals and Internal Dynamics
The situation has sparked speculation of internal discord within AAP. Political observers note that Bhullar, while resigning, praised the party rather than the government. Reports also suggest that at his office in Patti, only a photograph of Arvind Kejriwal was displayed, with none of CM Mann.

Despite the growing controversy, party leaders have largely refrained from commenting publicly.

Notably, in the past four years, AAP has taken action against two ministers and two MLAs over corruption allegations, but none were expelled from the party, indicating a pattern in handling such cases.