Two first information reports (FIRs) have been registered in Punjab against Sandeep Pathak days after he quit the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) along with six Rajya Sabha MPs and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said sources on Saturday. The FIRs have been registered under non-bailable sections.
According to sources, the FIRs were filed in two districts of Punjab over harassing women and corruption. Notably, a team of Punjab Police also arrived at Pathak's residence in New Delhi, but the former AAP leader was seen leaving the house before the arrival of the officials.
A team of Delhi Police has also arrived at Pathak's residence and the security has been tightened there.
However, Pathak has said he is not aware about the FIRs and the police have not even contacted him, adding that he has always served the country with "honesty and integrity". "The country is bigger than any party - I will never betray it, nor allow anyone else to do so. If any action has been initiated against someone like me, it only shows how scared they are. I don’t wish to say anything further," he said.
Pathak, a Rajya Sabha member from Punjab since April 2022, was considered to be the architect AAP's Punjab win in the 2022 assembly elections. He, along with six other AAP MPs, including Raghav Chadha, joined the BJP in a big setback for Arvind Kejriwal's party ahead of next year's assembly elections in the state.
On his decision to quit AAP, Pathak last month had said that he only wanted to work for the country and it was his only aim. However, working under the AAP had become difficult due to various reasons and that's why he was forced to quit the party and join the BJP, he had said at a press conference on April 24.
"I had never thought that such a situation would ever occur in my life. But it did. I was a part of this party for 10 years. Today, I am separating my path from that of the AAP... When it came to joining a party, I joined AAP because they spoke of new politics and politics of work... In 10 years, I worked hard... All political decisions I made were taken by prioritising the party's interests... I am joining the BJP today and giving up all my positions in AAP," Pathak said.
Many have criticised Pathak over his decision, with analysts pointing out that it is a massive setback for AAP ahead of 2027 Punjab elections. The AAP leadership has now scrambled to decide its next course of action. Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has decided to meet President Droupadi Murmu on May 5 to demand a "recall" of AAP's Rajya Sabha MPs who joined the BJP.
