Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha met President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday in separate meetings held hours apart, as Punjab’s political crisis spilled into the national stage.
Chadha, who recently joined the BJP along with other former AAP MPs, met the President earlier in the day along with fellow MPs, while Mann’s meeting was scheduled around 12 noon.
The twin meetings come amid escalating tensions following the defection of seven Rajya Sabha MPs from AAP to the BJP and the subsequent FIR registered against Sandeep Pathak, which has triggered a sharp political confrontation.
During his meeting, Mann urged the President to intervene and cancel the membership of the MPs who switched sides, arguing that they no longer represent the mandate of Punjab. He maintained that these MPs were elected by AAP MLAs and their defection amounted to a betrayal of the people’s mandate.
Speaking after the meeting, Mann said the issue was not merely political but related to democratic accountability. He stressed that the voice of Punjab must be protected and asserted that those elected on one party’s mandate cannot shift allegiance without facing consequences. He also underlined that his government remains stable, pointing to the recent trust vote in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha as proof of majority support.
On the other hand, Raghav Chadha presented a sharply contrasting narrative before the President. He alleged that the Punjab government was engaging in “vendetta politics” and misusing state machinery against MPs who had left AAP.
Chadha claimed that actions such as FIRs and administrative pressure were part of a targeted campaign. Referring specifically to the case against Sandeep Pathak, he argued that the move reflected political retaliation rather than due process.
In a pointed political remark, Chadha said, “AAP has government and police in one state, while we have government and police in 21 states,” signalling a broader power contest and warning against what he described as intimidation tactics.
He further told the President that MPs who exercised their constitutional right to change parties were being harassed through agencies and state action, and sought intervention to ensure fairness and protection.
The developments mark a significant escalation in Punjab’s political crisis, with both sides taking their battle to the highest constitutional office. Analysts say the separate meetings highlight a clear split narrative — while Mann is positioning the issue as one of mandate and democratic ethics, Chadha is framing it as political vendetta and misuse of power.
The backdrop to the confrontation is the recent defection of seven AAP Rajya Sabha MPs, including Chadha and Pathak, to the BJP, which has dramatically altered the party’s strength in the Upper House and triggered a fierce political response from the Punjab government.
With both camps staking claim to constitutional legitimacy, Tuesday’s developments indicate that the political battle is no longer confined to Punjab but has expanded into a larger national contest over power, accountability, and the use of state machinery.
As the row deepens, the coming days are expected to see further escalation, with both sides continuing to press their case through political as well as institutional channels.