Chandigarh: In one of the most politically volatile weeks in recent Punjab history, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)’s victory in the Ludhiana West Assembly bypoll was quickly overshadowed by high drama: the posting of objectionable photos and videos allegedly involving AAP MLA Ravjot Singh by senior Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia, a dramatic Vigilance Bureau raid, and Majithia’s arrest in a 2021 drug-linked disproportionate assets case.
The storm was triggered when Majithia, a former Punjab cabinet minister and prominent face of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), shared alleged objectionable visuals of Ravjot Singh on his official social media handle. The act drew sharp criticism and was seen as provocation by the ruling AAP.
On Tuesday, June 25, the Punjab Vigilance Bureau conducted a surprise raid on Majithia’s Amritsar residence under tight security. The senior leader was arrested in connection with a long-pending Vigilance case related to disproportionate assets allegedly amassed through drug money. The case was originally lodged in 2021, during the previous government’s tenure.
Majithia spent the night at the Vigilance Bureau office and was presented before the Mohali court on Thursday, June 27. While the Vigilance team sought a 12-day remand, the court granted a 7-day remand, with the next hearing scheduled for July 2.
AAP turns aggressive post-bypoll win
The arrest came just days after AAP’s bypoll triumph in Ludhiana West, which gave the ruling party a strong morale boost. The timing of the crackdown raised eyebrows, with critics calling it vendetta politics, while the AAP government defended it as a decisive move in their fight against drugs.
Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema stated, “Punjab is witnessing an unprecedented war against drugs. No matter how powerful, anyone involved in drugs will face the law.”
Cabinet Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal claimed that mobile phones, iPads, and documents seized during the raid were being examined for links to a Rs 500-crore drug racket. “This is drug money. The Vigilance Bureau has enough proof. The crackdown on the big fish has just started,” Dhaliwal said.
Dhaliwal also invoked Punjab’s painful history with narcotics, describing the SAD-BJP government’s decade-long rule (2007–2017) as a period when “a sixth river of drugs flowed in Punjab.”
He recalled how notorious drug smuggler Jagdish Bhola had named Majithia in court in 2013 and blamed successive Congress and Akali governments for failing to act.
Opposition unites behind Majithia
While the Mann-led government projected the arrest as part of a systemic crackdown, opposition parties from across the spectrum rushed to Majithia’s defence, calling the action politically motivated.
SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal declared, “The SAD stands like a rock with Majithia. This is nothing but vendetta. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is rattled because Majithia exposed the government’s corrupt and dark dealings.”
Badal accused the AAP government of misusing state agencies and warned police officials that actions taken during this regime would be investigated after a change in power, expected in 18 months. Outside the Mohali court on Thursday, SAD supporters gathered in large numbers. Police, anticipating protests, detained several, including senior leader Dr Daljit Singh Cheema, who attempted to address the media.
BJP, Congress also slam government
The arrest sparked criticism from BJP and Congress as well. BJP state president Sunil Jakhar said that while action against corruption is welcome, it must be “transparent and uniform,” not selective.
“No one should be above the law, but no one should be targeted just for opposing the Chief Minister either,” Jakhar said.
Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu, now with BJP, accused Mann of “turning the case into a political circus,” warning that repeated arrests without solid evidence only weaken the legal case. “Officers must act within the law. The change of guard is only 18 months away,” he warned.
