Harbhajan’s Security Removed After AAP Exit

Former Indian cricketer and Rajya Sabha MP Harbhajan Singh has landed at the centre of a political storm after switching from Aam Aadmi Party to Bharatiya Janata Party. Soon after his move, the Punjab Police withdrew the security cover provided to him at his residence in Jalandhar, triggering sharp political reactions.

The security detail of around 9–10 Punjab Police personnel was removed from Singh’s Chhotti Baradari residence on Saturday. By Sunday, personnel from the Central Reserve Police Force were seen deployed outside his house. The development quickly became a talking point in Punjab politics.

Meanwhile, AAP workers staged protests outside the homes of Harbhajan Singh and other leaders who defected to the BJP, branding them as “traitors.” Demonstrations were reported in Ludhiana and Jalandhar against Harbhajan Singh, Ashok Mittal, and Rajinder Gupta.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann strongly criticised the defectors, accusing them of betraying the people of Punjab. He labelled the seven leaders who switched sides as “gaddars” and alleged that the BJP was trying to weaken Punjab’s mandate.

The political exodus from AAP to BJP reportedly included Raghav Chadha, Sandeep Pathak, Harbhajan Singh, Ashok Mittal, Rajinder Gupta, Swati Maliwal, and Vikramjit Sahney. Chadha claimed that AAP had moved away from its original principles, values, and morals, prompting his decision to join the BJP.