CHANDIGARH: The BJP, Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal have raised questions over the alleged unauthorised occupation of government houses in Punjab by Delhi-based Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) functionaries, associates and others, turning the issue into a fresh political flashpoint in the election-bound state.
The properties in question were allotted to Punjab ministers and other top functionaries and are meant for authorised occupants.
The controversy erupted after Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira questioned the presence of Gayatri Bishnoi, an AAP functionary, at a government residence of a minister in Sector 39 and raised allegations about AAP leaders allegedly occupying government accommodation meant for Punjab ministers and officials.
Former Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar on Tuesday staged a protest near the official residences of Punjab ministers and the Circuit House in Sector 39 of Chandigarh and alleged that Delhi-based AAP leadership and their close associates were occupying official government bungalows meant for ministers.
Talking to the media, Jakhar said he had visited the area to find out for himself who was occupying the ministerial residences instead of relying on social media posts or hearsay. He alleged that the ministers in the Council of Ministers of the Bhagwant Mann government had been reduced to “ministers in name only” and further claimed that some had removed their nameplates from their official residences.
He said government residences are not meant for political party workers or people brought in from outside and should be allotted strictly according to prescribed rules. Jakhar said the issue was not merely about government bungalows but also concerned Punjab’s rights and government property.
Jakhar warned the ruling party leaders that if such matters were not raised now, the situation could become more serious in the future. He said that when these people participate in political activities by appearing on public platforms, questions would also be raised about the basis on which they were brought to Punjab and under which rules they were provided government facilities.
Referring to AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal as “Super CM”, Jakhar alleged that the arrangement had the backing of Kejriwal.
He also questioned why files from the department of Cabinet Minister Hardeep Singh Mundian had allegedly reached residence No. 926 and claimed that the files contained information related to an alleged Rs 10,000-crore GMADA scam.
Referring to the oath of secrecy taken by ministers, Jakhar alleged that the files had been sent to AAP leader Satyendar Jain at the residence as part of what he described as a system of control from Delhi. He linked the alleged occupation of the residence to the Enforcement Directorate searches and demanded Mundian’s resignation.
Recalling Kejriwal’s earlier statements that he would not accept an official residence while serving as Delhi Chief Minister, Jakhar alleged that under the AAP government, Kejriwal’s associates had occupied a number of government houses meant for Punjab ministers.
Jakhar appealed to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to remove what he described as unidentified people from Delhi from government bungalows and warned those occupying the residences to vacate buildings built with Punjab taxpayers’ money, failing which the protest would intensify. He also said that if there was a change in government, those responsible would be held accountable.
Recently, Congress MLA from Bholath Sukhpal Singh Khaira had also flagged alleged unauthorised occupants belonging to the ruling party. He had issued a list of former ministers in the Delhi AAP government, Punjab observers appointed by the party’s Delhi team and members of the Punjab Development Commission, among others, who are allegedly occupying houses allotted to Punjab Cabinet ministers and other government functionaries in the Circuit House complex in Sector 39.
The controversy erupted on Friday after Khaira raised questions over the alleged occupation of a government house in the Sector 39 complex by Gayatri Bishnoi, an AAP functionary who describes herself on X as a “Punjab state observer” and president of the women’s wing of AAP in Rajasthan.
Khaira alleged that Bishnoi was staying in a government residence in Sector 39 that had been allotted to AAP minister Ravjot Singh, but which, Khaira said, was currently occupied by AAP leader and former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia.
Gayatri Bishnoi hit back, saying she was staying with her parents at Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh’s official residence because her father was undergoing treatment. She also objected to the Congress MLA’s remarks and accused him of making personal allegations.
Bishnoi showed in her video that she was living with her parents. She described her father as a heart patient who she claimed was undergoing treatment. She said the accommodation had been provided as a favour by Balbir Singh.
She accused Khaira of making personal and defamatory allegations and threatened legal action against him. “You cannot tolerate that we are working for the people of Punjab. I will make sure that you rot in jail,” Bishnoi said.
Khaira has since put out a series of posts and claimed that apart from Sisodia, several others are staying in government accommodation without being entitled to it.
He alleged that former Delhi minister Satyender Jain had occupied house number 926; AAP leader Deepak Chauhan’s personal assistant had occupied house number 902; Kamal Bansal, the former chairperson of Tirth Yatra Vikas Samiti, Government of NCT of Delhi, and chairperson of Punjab Tirth Yatra Samiti, was occupying house number 905; Adil Khan, a Punjab State observer, was occupying house number 927; Jitender Singh Shunty, a former AAP MLA from Delhi who is a member of the Punjab State Human Rights Commission, was occupying house number 928; and AAP’s Delhi MLA Jarnail Singh was occupying house number 931.
While House number 964 was occupied by Sisodia’s team members, House number 965 was allegedly being used as the AAP party’s office.
The issue has also drawn a response from Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia. He questioned the AAP leader’s explanation regarding the use of a government bungalow and raised questions over the identity of the occupants and the payment of electricity and water bills.
He also questioned whether similar facilities were available to ordinary Punjab residents who come to Chandigarh for medical treatment. These remain political allegations and require verification from official records.
What started as a face-off between Sukhpal Singh Khaira and Gayatri Bishnoi has now turned into a larger political debate over government property, VIP accommodation and accountability.