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AAP’s Baltej Pannu hits out at BJP: ‘How is a Gujarat Jail Gangster making threat calls?’
Babushahi Bureau
:Chandigarh, December 5, 2025 – Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab General Secretary and Media In-charge Baltej Pannu launched a sharp counterattack on the opposition, particularly the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing them of running a deliberate campaign to defame Punjab’s law and order situation.
Speaking at a press conference, Pannu said Punjab remains one of the safest and most stable states in the country, especially when compared to BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana, where law and order has “truly collapsed.”
Pannu said the real threat to public safety lies not within Punjab, but in political patronage extended to gangsters across states. He cited a recent viral audio clip allegedly recorded by jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi from a Gujarat prison.
“A gangster lodged in a high-security BJP-run jail in Gujarat is freely making calls, issuing threats, and allegedly planning gang wars. How is he getting a mobile phone inside such a jail?” Pannu questioned.
He said the audio clip, now widely broadcast across news channels, exposes how BJP-led systems are enabling extortion calls to businessmen, singers, and artists to create panic and malign Punjab. “This is a political conspiracy to spread fear and then blame the Punjab Government,” he said.
Pannu added that a majority of gangsters operating in northern India have origins in Haryana, while many—including Bishnoi—had links with political student wings in Punjab in their early years.
He also highlighted past instances of political protection given to gangsters, pointing to Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) fielding the mother of gangster Sonu Kangla in the 2022 elections and the party’s past association with figures like Shera Khubban and Rocky.
Accusing the BJP of becoming the newest shelter for criminal networks, Pannu said Bishnoi’s confinement in Gujarat has turned into “political patronage,” allowing him to operate from inside jail. “He has been given so much cover that he cannot even be shifted out now,” he alleged.
Pannu warned Punjabis to be wary of attempts to destabilize the state. “Those trying to capture power in Punjab are orchestrating an environment of fear. They want to shake the state and then project themselves as the saviours,” he said.
Demanding accountability, Pannu asked: “Who gave a jailed gangster access to a phone in Gujarat? Who is enabling these calls? Why is the BJP silent?”
He asserted that Punjab Police has responded swiftly and firmly whenever gangsters attempted crimes in the state—often arresting suspects within 24 hours or neutralising them when necessary. “Punjab Police and the Punjab Government are fully alert. There is no laxity,” he said.
Pannu concluded by accusing the opposition of a “double game”—creating panic through criminal networks while simultaneously blaming the ruling government. He pointed to similar instances in previous governments, including VIP treatment allegedly given to a UP gangster in Punjab during Captain Amarinder Singh’s tenure.
“The opposition has no real issue left in Punjab. Now they want to win by scaring people. But Punjabis are seeing the truth,” he said.