Defected AAP MPs Face Action; Chadha & Mann to Meet President

May

2026

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is going after its seven Members of Parliament who defected to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on 24 Apr. On 25 Apr, the Panjab government withdrew cricketer-turned MP Habhajan Singh’s Y-category security cover provided by the Panjab police. Shortly thereafter, the union government stepped in to provide security through the Central Reserve Police Force, with personnel now stationed outside his residence in Jalandhar. On 1 May, the Punjab and Haryana High Court directed the Panjab government to ensure no physical harm was caused to MP and his family while they were in the state. On 30 Apr, the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) raided MP Rajinder Gupta's Trident group’s Dhaula unit in Barnala district over issues of water and air pollution. Reacting to the PPCB action, BJP Panjab working president Ashwani Sharma termed the raid 'deplorable and politically motivated'. On 2 May, the Panjab police filed two First Information Reports (FIRs) under non-bailable sections against MP Sandeep Pathak. Pathak was seen leaving his residence in Pandara Road, New Delhi, and has since been ‘untraceable’. Pathak supposedly has dossiers on all the AAP legislators in Panjab. Meanwhile, another defected MP, Vikramjit Singh Sahney, has launched a scathing attack on the Panjab government, saying that union government schemes bearing the PM (Prime Minister) prefix are being blocked in the state. Responding to the gaddar (traitor) moniker AAP has associated with the seven MPs, he said blocking these schemes is the real gaddari (betrayal) with Panjab, Panjabis and Panjabiat. MP Raghav Chadha has termed these moves by the Panjab government as vendetta and is meeting President Droupadi Murmu on 5 May to raise concerns over the alleged misuse of state machinery in Panjab. AAP has been seeking the Right to Recall (removal from Parliament) of the defected MPs. Panjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is also meeting President Murmu to discuss the legal and constitutional aspects of MPs changing their party. Panjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar termed the move as nothing more than 'desperate attempts by AAP to prevent its party from breaking apart' (earlier coverage).