Chandigarh, March 19
Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, Partap Singh Bajwa, on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government for failing to disqualify its MLA Manjinder Singh Lalpura despite his conviction in a heinous case involving the molestation and assault of a 19-year-old Dalit girl. Terming the inaction a “grave miscarriage of justice” and a “direct assault on the dignity of a Dalit girl,” Bajwa said the government’s silence exposes its double standards on women’s safety and Dalit rights.
Bajwa, along with Deputy CLP leader Aruna Chaudhry, has written to Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan on March 13, 2026 demanding the immediate disqualification of Lalpura. He questioned why the AAP government has failed to act against one of its own legislators. “AAP’s tall claims of championing Dalit empowerment and women’s dignity stand completely exposed. Their silence in this case is nothing short of complicity,” he said.
Bajwa further alleged that this case is part of a broader and troubling pattern in which the AAP government has repeatedly shielded tainted leaders. Citing multiple instances, Bajwa pointed to the arrest of an Amargarh MLA by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case linked to a labour scam, the removal of former Health Minister Dr. Vijay Singla over corruption charges, the attachment of properties of Mohali MLA Kulwant Singh in a money laundering probe, and the arrest of Maur MLA Amit Rattan Kotfatta for allegedly accepting a bribe. “This is not governance—it is a systematic normalization of corruption and criminality under political protection,” he remarked. He said in none of the cases investigation took place and no one was held guilty.
Bajwa also criticised the government for blocking a resolution seeking the Bharat Ratna for Shaheed Bhagat Singh, stating that despite repeated attempts by the Congress, the Speaker did not allow it to be tabled in the House. He said AAP leaders routinely invoke Bhagat Singh’s legacy for political mileage, but their actions betray those ideals. “They are nothing but ‘fake revolutionaries’ who remember Bhagat Singh only when it suits their narrative,” he added.
Demanding immediate action, Bajwa called for the disqualification of Manjinder Singh Lalpura, a fair and transparent investigation into all corruption allegations, and accountability at the highest levels of government. He asserted that Punjab deserves a government that upholds justice, integrity, and the rule of law—not one that shields the guilty and erodes public trust in democratic institutions.
