BJP Must Explain How Gangster in Gujarat Jail Is Making Threat Calls: AAP’s Baltej Pannu

Chandigarh (The Uttam Hindu):bAam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab General Secretary and Media In-charge Baltej Pannu launched a blistering attack on the opposition, particularly the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), for trying to malign Punjab by repeatedly claiming that the state’s law and order has deteriorated. Addressing a press conference, Pannu said that Punjab continues to be one of the safest and most stable states in the country, especially in comparison to Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana, BJP ruled states where law and order has genuinely collapsed.

Pannu said the real threat to public safety comes not from Punjab, but from political forces who are actively enabling gangsters. He referred to a recent viral audio call allegedly made by jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi from inside a Gujarat prison. “A gangster lodged in a high-security Gujarat jail, under BJP’s watch, is freely making calls, issuing threats, and even attempting to orchestrate gang wars. How is he getting access to a mobile phone inside a BJP-run prison?” Pannu asked.

He stated that the same gangster had been issuing threats even before the recent killing of his former associate, an act allegedly planned by Bishnoi himself. “This entire audio clip, which every news channel has been playing since morning, exposes how the BJP is aiding an environment of fear in Punjab by facilitating extortion calls to businessmen, singers, and artists,” he said. “Their objective is clear, create panic and defame Punjab and its government.”

Pannu highlighted that most gangsters operating in northern India have roots in Haryana. He added that Lawrence Bishnoi, too, was once a student in Punjab and associated with SOI, where his links with several then-student leaders, now politicians in various parties, began.

He exposed how political protection for gangsters is not new. “In 2022, Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) gave a ticket in Amritsar to the mother of gangster Sonu Kangla. The Badals had an electoral understanding with BSP and fielded her from their seat. Go a little further back, you will find names like Shera Khubban and Rocky. Rocky’s sister later joined the Akali Dal (Badal) as well,” Pannu noted.

He said the BJP has now become the latest party to shelter criminal elements. “They have placed this gangster in Gujarat jail under such patronage that he cannot even be shifted out anymore. From there, he is being allowed to operate freely through phone calls,” he said.

Pannu warned Punjabis to stay alert to the conspiracy. “Political parties that want to take control of Punjab, including the BJP, are behind this organised attempt to create fear. They want to destabilize the state and then present themselves as the solution.”

Slamming the BJP’s silence on the matter, Pannu demanded immediate answers: “How is a notorious gangster, lodged in Gujarat jail, getting a phone? Who is giving him access? Who is responsible for enabling these threat calls?”

He reiterated that whenever gangsters or their associates attempted any crime in Punjab, the Punjab Police acted swiftly and decisively, often arresting the accused within 24 hours, and in some cases neutralising them in encounters. “Punjab Police and the Punjab Government are fully alert and committed to ensuring the safety of every citizen. There is no laxity of any kind,” he said.

Pannu accused the opposition of running a double game, creating fear through gangsters while simultaneously blaming the Punjab Government for law and order. “If you want to stay in politics, work for the people instead of relying on gangsters. Unfortunately, many parties have begun this new and dangerous practice.”

He also reminded people how political patronage of criminals has a long history: “Remember Captain Amarinder Singh’s 2017 government? A famous gangster was brought from Uttar Pradesh and kept in Punjab's jail with VIP comforts. It got so bad that the UP Government had to approach the Supreme Court to get him back. In the Tarn Taran elections too, a gangster’s family was given a political ticket.”

Pannu said the opposition has failed to find any issue in Punjab. “They now want to win power by frightening people. But Punjabis can see through their conspiracy.”