In the current political landscape of Punjab, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress are at loggerheads. The situation escalated when an FIR was filed against the Aam Aadmi Party following a complaint by Pratap Singh Bajwa, a senior Congress leader and the Leader of the Opposition. The accusation is that AAP leaders shared an edited video of Bajwa on social media, misrepresenting his statement in a misleading context. The video allegedly attempted to portray Bajwa as supporting Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia.
My words were twisted and misrepresented.
In his complaint, Pratap Bajwa stated that on June 25th, at 3:13 PM, he had posted a 3-minute and 48-second video on X (formerly Twitter) questioning the actions of the Punjab Vigilance Bureau. He also criticized the alleged misconduct of officials towards Majithia and Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira.
Bajwa alleges that the Aam Aadmi Party edited the video, removing the parts related to Majithia's wife and Punjab Assembly member, Ganeev Kaur, and her being a woman MLA. This gave the false impression that he was supporting Majithia. He stated that this was a planned conspiracy to damage his and the Congress party's political image.
Minister Aman Arora and Cheema's names dragged into it.
Bajwa also mentioned in his complaint that Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema shared the edited video on his Facebook account, while Minister Aman Arora posted it on the official Facebook page of AAP Punjab. He alleged that the video was deliberately circulated on social media to tarnish his image.
Bajwa said that this kind of editing not only defamed him but also spread a false narrative that he was supporting those against whom investigations were ongoing. He also alleged that the video completely suppressed the real issue—the alleged misconduct of vigilance officers.
Serious sections included in the FIR.
The FIR, registered on the basis of Bajwa's complaint, includes sections 336(4) (forgery), 356 (defamation), and 61(2) (criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The case has been registered against an 'unknown media operator,' but the Congress leader has also demanded action against top AAP leaders and their associates involved in social media operations.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's counter-attack.
On this entire controversy, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann criticized the central government. He said that whenever someone speaks the truth, there are attempts to silence them. Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh, and Arvind Kejriwal also had to pay the price of speaking the truth by going to jail. Mann called the FIR a conspiracy to suppress the voice of democracy and said that the Aam Aadmi Party would not be intimidated by such cases.
Meanwhile, Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema retaliated against Congress leader Pratap Bajwa, accusing him of colluding with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Questions raised on the Vigilance action using the Majithia case as an example.
In this controversy, Bajwa presented the case of Shiromani Akali Dal's senior leader Bikram Singh Majithia as an example. He said that the Punjab Vigilance Bureau had recently filed an FIR against Majithia, while his wife, Ganeev Kaur, is an elected woman MLA. Bajwa alleged that the vigilance officers not only forcibly entered their home but also entered the bedroom, which was completely insensitive and against the dignity of women.
He termed this action a violation of the law as well as against moral standards and declared it completely unacceptable.
Freedom of expression does not mean character assassination.
Bajwa described this matter as against the fundamental spirit of democracy. He said that democracy certainly gives freedom of expression, but it does not mean that a video should be tampered with and the public misled to damage a person's image.
He clearly stated that this case is not just about his personal image, but it is related to the dignity of the entire democratic structure. Bajwa demanded that legal action be initiated against all those involved as soon as possible and that a fair investigation be conducted into the matter.
No signs of the political storm subsiding.
Since the FIR was filed, this matter has been continuously escalating. The Congress is calling it the murder of democracy, while the Aam Aadmi Party is calling it the opposition's frustration. The exchange of statements from both sides is ongoing, and this political clash could intensify in the coming days.
