Two days after Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia was arrested by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau in a drugs and disproportionate assets case, anxiety has gripped the Punjab Congress. Several Congress leaders already under Vigilance scrutiny fear they might be the next targets in what they allege is a politically motivated campaign.
Former Punjab Chief Minister and newly elected Jalandhar MP Charanjit Singh Channi said the AAP government was selectively targeting vocal opposition leaders. “After Majithia, Pargat Singh is the next target. AAP is going after those who speak against them. They have already been after me for a long time,” Channi stated.
Several senior Congress figures, including PPCC chief and Ludhiana MP Amrinder Raja Warring, MLAs Barindermmeet Singh Pahra and Pargat Singh, and former ministers Sunder Sham Arora and Vijay Inder Singla, are currently facing Vigilance inquiries. Chargesheets have already been filed against former MLA Kushaldeep Singh Dhillon and former minister OP Soni.
According to party sources, MLA Pargat Singh has reportedly gone underground in anticipation of possible arrest. His phone and that of his personal assistant have remained switched off for the third straight day.
Reacting to the developments, Raja Warring said the Congress would expose what he called the “political vendetta” of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party. “It would be premature to comment right now, but we won’t stay silent if our leaders are unfairly targeted,” he said.
Congress leader and Rajasthan in-charge Sukhjinder Randhawa said the AAP’s “false anti-corruption narrative” would eventually backfire. “People will see this for what it is — political targeting. This could actually generate sympathy for those being targeted,” he said.
Internal Dissent Surfaces over Support for Majithia
Meanwhile, discontent has emerged within Congress ranks over some party leaders’ perceived soft stance on Majithia’s arrest. Congress leader Brinder Dhillon criticized the apparent shift in approach through a strongly worded post on X (formerly Twitter).
“Leaders from Congress defending Bikram Majithia — what bigger irony?” he wrote. “We once demanded his arrest, removed our own CM for not acting against Badals & Majithia, and celebrated the FIR. Now this U-turn? 2017: ‘Jail Majithia!’ 2025: ‘Hail Majithia?’ Politics can’t just follow what’s trending. It must be rooted in principles.”
The party now finds itself navigating internal contradictions and external pressure as the AAP government sharpens its anti-corruption campaign ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.
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