Chief minister Bhagwant Mann once again used his trademark kikli to take a harsh dig at the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). Addressing a public rally in Moga on Saturday, he recited a satirical kikli to mock at SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal and his brother-in-law and senior Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia drawing laughter from the crowd at the political event. Mann’s kikli was directed at the Akalis, not at his political opponents from the Congress or the Bharatiya Janata Party.
SAD hits back with AI video
With chief minister Bhagwant Mann taking kikli-style potshots at Sukhbir Singh Badal, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has also hit back in a similar tone. The opposition party’s official social media account uploaded an AI-generated video purportedly showing the CM lying in a hospital bed, with a doctor telling the family that the patient has been hit by “Sukhbir Phobia”. In the video, the doctor also suggests that the patient be kept away from Sukhbir’s videos on social media to ensure a speedy recovery.
When Warring jumped the gun
Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring jumped the gun last week when he thanked Congress colleague and Himachal Pradesh (HP) chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu for “reversing the decision to hike the entry tax” on vehicles entering the hill state. After Sukhu announced the “rollback” on Tuesday amid protests, Warring phoned him to express his gratitude. “I thank him for conceding our request to revert the entry tax for outside vehicles, including those from Punjab, to the previous rate,” he posted on X. AAP MLA Dinesh Chadha also described Sukhu’s assurance as a victory for the people, stating that the rollback was the result of sustained pressure from both the public and elected representatives. However, the HP government’s notification on Tuesday offered only a partial rollback, reducing the entry tax from the earlier proposed ₹130 to a flat ₹100 for all non-Himachal passenger vehicles with a capacity of up to 12+1. Protests over the hike in entry tax from the original ₹70 have continued.
2 more Punjab IAS officers go on central deputation
Two Punjab IAS officers went on central deputation last week, bringing the total to four in about three months. Tejveer Singh, a 1994-batch IAS officer, was cleared by the appointments committee of the cabinet (ACC) on Tuesday for appointment as secretary, department of chemicals and petrochemicals, under the ministry of chemicals and fertilisers. He had been empanelled for secretary-level posts at the Centre exactly a year ago. On April 2, 2012-batch officer Surabhi Malik was posted as director in the Union ministry of housing and urban affairs for a five-year tenure. Earlier, 2005-batch IAS officer Sibin C, who was the chief electoral officer of Punjab, joined the central government as joint secretary in the ministry of health and family welfare on January 19. Before that, Dilip Kumar of the 1995 batch was posted as DG (training) in the Union skill development ministry. These postings came after the state government issued no-objection certificates, amid reports of months of delays, and in some cases, reluctance to clear deputation requests of some officers. At least two other IAS officers who have received NOCs are awaiting postings in the central government.
Big guns focus on Doaba
Jalandhar – a key NRI belt and the cradle of Dalit politics in Punjab – appears set to take centre stage in state politics ahead of the 2027 assembly elections, with political bigwigs focusing on the area. After chief minister Bhagwant Mann established his second official residence in Jalandhar’s Baradari area, Congress MP from Jalandhar Charanjit Singh Channi has set up a residence there to shed the ‘outsider’ tag often used by his rivals. Channi’s palatial five-kanal house in Khajurla village near Jalandhar Cantonment will serve as his residential-cum-camp office. The former CM had been shuttling between Jalandhar and his assembly constituency of Chamkaur Sahib, which he represented thrice earlier before suffering a defeat in 2022. Often dubbed as an outsider despite his victory in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections with a record margin, he seems to have long-term political plans from the Doaba region. Channi had planned a grand housewarming party on April 3, but kept it low-key following the death of Congress leader Khushbaaz Jatana in a road accident.
Kapur among top contenders for CBI chief post
With the one-year extended tenure of CBI Director Praveen Sood set to end in May 2026, Haryana IPS officer Shatrujeet Kapur is learnt to be a top contender for heading the federal agency. Currently serving as DG, ITBP, Kapur moved to central deputation in January 2026 after the state government asked him to proceed on leave in October 2025 following the suicide of IPS officer Y Puran Kumar. Despite the controversy, officials indicate that Kapur retains strong political backing, including from former Haryana CM and Union Minister ML Khattar. Officials said the Centre may also consider granting Sood another one-year extension under the Delhi Special Police Establishment (Amendment) Act, 2021, which allows extensions up to a cumulative tenure of five years. Another contender is Gyanendra Pratap Singh, DG, CRPF. The 1991-batch Assam-Meghalaya cadre officer received a special mention last week from BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi in the Rajya Sabha who praised his leadership qualities while discussing the CAPF Bill. Trivedi said the CRPF chief was personally present on the ground during a 21-day anti-Naxals operation last February on the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border, reflecting the confidence he commands within the establishment.
Para vs Itoo in J&K House
The Jammu and Kashmir legislative assembly’s winter session ended on a sour note on Saturday, with members resorting to personal attacks. The sparring began during a debate when Peoples Democratic Party legislator Waheed ur Rehman Para questioned health and education minister Sakina Itoo about her degree, touching a raw nerve. The vocal minister hit back, targeting Para over his arrest under the UAPA and accusing him of being in league with militants and the BJP. Para later told the media that he is being systematically targeted by National Conference leaders for questioning their government on genuine issues. He also alleged that the NC government had outsourced 24,000 jobs despite J&K youth “sitting idle”, claiming that all these appointments were made through backdoor. Parra, who had been arrested by police, was granted bail by the Supreme Court three years ago.
(Contributed by Vishal Joshi, Ravinder Vasudeva, Navneet Sharma, Navrajdeep Singh, Hitender Rao, Mir Ehsan)
