Chandigarh: Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha Partap Singh Bajwa on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) govt 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 govt’s silence exposes its double standards on women’s safety and Dalit rights.”Bajwa, along with deputy leader of Congress Legislature Party (CLP) in Vidhan Sabha Aruna Chaudhry, wrote to Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan on March 13, demanding the immediate disqualification of Lalpura.Addressing a press conference here, Bajwa questioned, “Why the AAP govt has failed to act against one of its own legislators? The 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 added, “This case is part of a broader and troubling pattern in which the AAP govt 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, removal of former health minister Dr Vijay Singla over corruption charges, 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.”Bajwa said, “This is not governance. It is a systematic normalisation of corruption and criminality under political protection. In none of the cases investigation took place, and no one was held guilty.”The Congress MLA from Qadian also criticised the govt 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.”He added, “They are nothing but ‘fake revolutionaries’ who remember Bhagat Singh only when it suits their narrative.”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 govt.He asserted, “Punjab deserves a govt that upholds justice, integrity, and the rule of law—not one that shields the guilty and erodes public trust in democratic institutions.”
