If the opposition accepts SIR in Punjab, why does it object to it in other states? asks Sunil Jakhar

- Accuses Congress and other opposition parties of discrediting constitutional institutions in an attempt to regain their lost political support
- Urges eligible voters whose names have been wrongly deleted to come forward so their registration can be restored
- Criticises the opposition for opposing the exercise for political reasons
- Jakhar said that “SIR does not mean deleting votes; it means correcting and updating electoral rolls,”
- Praises Punjab’s Chief Electoral Officer for completing SIR in accordance with the rules

Chandigarh, October 14-Former Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar today accused Congress of targeting constitutional institutions such as the Election Commission after losing its support base across the country. Speaking to the media outside the office of Punjab’s Chief Electoral Officer, he said the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls had been completed in Punjab without the same Congress raising any objection to the exercise.

Jakhar praised Punjab’s Chief Electoral Officer for completing the revision of electoral rolls in accordance with the rules. Sharing voter figures from the Assembly constituencies represented by the current and former Punjab Congress presidents, the Chief Minister, the Finance Minister and the AAP president, he said none of these leaders had raised any objection neither in their own constituencies nor in the state.
Jakhar said political parties had collectively appointed 89,000 Booth Level Agents (BLAs) in Punjab for the SIR exercise. According to him, the Election Commission shared information with these agents at every stage and obtained their written agreement regarding the process. He claimed that throughout the exercise, not a single eligible voter in Punjab had come forward to say that their name had been wrongly deleted from the electoral rolls.

The BJP leader said Punjab Congress leaders were nevertheless travelling to Delhi to protest against SIR. He added that AAP leaders had also protested against the exercise in Chandigarh on October 10, while representatives of both parties had thanked the Chief Electoral Officer on October 12.

Jakhar said the opposition was turning the exercise into a political issue to regain its lost support, even though, according to him, it was being conducted through a uniform procedure across the country and similar exercises had taken place several times before. He alleged that Congress lacked grassroots workers in most states and had failed to appoint BLAs in those areas. Instead of strengthening its organisation, he said, the party was concentrating its efforts on weakening constitutional institutions.

“If SIR has been completed properly in Punjab, how can the same exercise, conducted under the same rules, be wrong in other states?” Jakhar asked.

He urged the opposition to bring forward any case in which an eligible voter’s name had been wrongly deleted. He reiterated that eligible voters could still have their names added to the electoral rolls. “SIR does not mean deleting votes; it means correcting and updating electoral rolls,” he said.

Taking a dig at Congress leaders in the Rajya Sabha, who are still calling the shots in the party,Jakhar said those who had spent their entire political careers in the Upper House without ever contesting an election knew little about how voters were registered.

He questioned how removing the names of deceased voters, voters who had shifted their residence, or duplicate entries could be considered illegal. The real issue, he said, was whether any eligible voter had been wrongly excluded. Such voters should come forward so the Election Commission could restore their registration.

Jakhar condemns Parminder Singh Jhota’s murder, alleges protection for drug traffickers
Expressing grief over the murder of Parminder Singh Jhota in Mansa, Sunil Jakhar said Bhagwant Singh Mann had lost the right to call himself Chief Minister. He alleged that drugs were being sold under the government’s patronage. Jakhar questioned how the person accused of killing Jhota had obtained an arms licence despite having four cases registered against him. He asked whether this indicated that drug traffickers enjoyed government protection. He further alleged that the AAP government’s agenda was to create such fear in society that no one dared to raise their voice, allowing what he described as its “system of plunder” to continue.

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BJP to Hold State Executive Meeting in Sangrur on October 16 to Finalise Roadmap for 2027 Elections

Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh will attend the meet, Farmers ‘s concerns, drug menace, pending DA of employees, law and order, women’s issues and economic situation to be discussed

Chandigarh, October 14-Ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections, the senior leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will hold a state executive meeting in Sangrur on October 16.
According to a statement issued by Punjab BJP State General Secretary Anil Sareen, the meeting, to be held under the leadership of the state president Kewal Singh Dhillon, will focus on preparing the party’s roadmap to contest elections in all 117 Assembly constituencies of Punjab. Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh will attend the meet.

He said the meeting would deliberate on the prevailing political, economic and social situation in Punjab. Party leaders will discuss key public issues and determine the BJP’s priorities for the upcoming Assembly elections.
Farmers’ concerns, the growing drug menace, pending dearness allowance (DA) of government employees, the deteriorating law and order situation, women’s safety and related issues, and Punjab’s economic condition will be among the major topics of discussion. Resolutions on various issues concerning the state will also be passed.
According to Anil Sareen, besides the state president, Punjab BJP in-charge Dr Satish Poonia, co-in-charge Varinder Sachdeva, co-in-charge and MP Dr Alka Gurjar and senior leader Tarun Chugh are likely to address various sessions of the meeting.

Senior BJP leaders will assess the prevailing situation in the state, review the party’s organisational preparedness and deliberate on a strategy to strengthen its presence across all 117 Assembly constituencies in Punjab. The discussions will help outline the key issues the BJP intends to prioritise ahead of the elections.

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BJP Holds Protests at 36 Locations Across Punjab Over the Murder of Parvinder Singh Jhotta

Memorandums Submitted to the Governor Through Deputy Commissioners, Demanding a CBI Probe

Chandigarh, October 14, 2026:The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took to the streets across Punjab to protest the murder of young social activist Parvinder Singh Jhotta, who had raised his voice against drugs in Mansa and was shot dead during a Facebook Live session. Anil Sareen, General Secretary of Punjab BJP, said that the party held sit-ins and protests at 36 district headquarters across the state, raising strong slogans against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government. During the protests, memorandums were submitted to Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria through Deputy Commissioners. Through these memorandums, the BJP demanded an impartial investigation into the murder by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

He stated that the BJP's memorandum highlighted that Parvinder Singh had been raising his voice against drug trafficking and the illegal sale of narcotic substances in Mansa for a long time. He had consistently campaigned to protect young people from the grip of drug addiction. On October 13, he was shot dead in broad daylight. His murder has raised serious questions about the safety of those fighting against drugs.

BJP leaders said that the victim's father had named the local MLA in his statement, making the matter particularly serious. Furthermore, according to eyewitnesses, the assailant spoke to someone over the phone immediately before opening fire. This raises the possibility that the murder could be part of a larger conspiracy.

The party also questioned the functioning of the Punjab Police and demanded a thorough investigation into every aspect of the case, along with the strictest possible punishment for those responsible.

BJP Raises Five Demands Before the Governor
- CBI Investigation: The investigation into the murder should be immediately handed over to the CBI.
- Preservation of Digital Evidence: All digital evidence, including the assailant's call records, WhatsApp chats, CCTV footage and Facebook Live stream, should be secured immediately.
- Security for the Victim's Family: Immediate police protection should be provided to the victim's family, particularly the minor children.
- Investigation into the Drug Trafficking Network: A comprehensive investigation should be conducted into the entire drug trafficking network in Punjab and the political patronage it allegedly receives.-
- Strict Action Against the Accused: Stringent action should be taken against every person involved in the crime, without any political pressure.

The Murder Is the Biggest Proof of Punjab's Deteriorating Law and Order: BJP
The BJP described the murder as the most glaring example of the deteriorating law and order situation in Punjab and the nexus surrounding drug trafficking. The party alleged that those speaking out against drugs are being openly targeted while the government remains a silent spectator.
The party stated that the murder of a person who raised his voice against drugs was an attack on democracy. It urged the Governor to intervene immediately and ensure the establishment of the rule of law in the state.

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People Will Not Allow AAP to Enter Villages After the Model Code of Conduct Comes into Force: Kewal Singh Dhillon

- BJP launches sharp attack on the AAP government over drugs and law and order
- AAP government has failed to curb drugs; Chief Minister should resign: Dhillon

- “Those entrusted with protection have become drug peddlers”: Dhillon targets Mann government
- Mann should step down voluntarily, or the people will remove him: Punjab BJP President

New Delhi / Chandigarh, October 14:Punjab BJP President Kewal Singh Dhillon launched a sharp attack on the Aam Aadmi Party government, alleging that the drug trade is expanding in Punjab and the law-and-order situation has completely deteriorated. He said that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann no longer has the moral right to remain in office and should resign.

Speaking at a press conference at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi on Wednesday, Kewal Singh Dhillon said that the Aam Aadmi Party government, which makes grand claims of being uncompromisingly honest, has completely failed to eliminate drugs from Punjab. He said that once the Model Code of Conduct comes into force, people will not allow AAP representatives to enter villages. Party national spokesperson R. P. Singh was also present on the occasion.

Referring to the arrest of a police personnel with 15 kilograms of heroin in the Khalra border area of Tarn Taran, Dhillon said the incident raises serious questions about the government's claims of fighting drugs. He asked, “If those entrusted with protecting the people become drug peddlers themselves, who will save the youth of Punjab?”

He said that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had repeatedly made grand promises to eliminate drugs at large public rallies, but the situation under his administration has reached a point where those responsible for curbing drugs are themselves being found involved in drug trafficking.

Praising the actions of the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Dhillon said that the agencies had exposed the AAP government's claims by seizing such a large consignment. Otherwise, he said, these 15 kilograms of poison could have destroyed the lives of countless families across Punjab.

He demanded a CBI investigation into the murder of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh, also known as Jhotta, in Mansa and expressed concern over the law-and-order situation in Punjab. He said that incidents of murder and grenade attacks on police stations in the state pose a serious challenge to public safety.

Dhillon claimed that Punjab's debt burden has increased and that industries are moving out of the state due to corruption. He also raised concerns regarding the pending dearness allowance (DA) of government employees and the problems faced by farmers.