Setback for Sandeep Pathak: FIRs against Rajya Sabha MP in Punjab within days of joining BJP

Days after leaving the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for the BJP, two FIRs have been filed against Rajya Sabha MP Sandeep Pathak in Punjab. The FIRs have been filed under non-bailable sections, news agency PTI reported, citing sources.

No further details about the FIRs have been disclosed so far. Pathak was among the seven Rajya Sabha MPs who had quit the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and joined the BJP.

A team of Punjab Police also arrived at Pathak's Delhi residence, but he was seen leaving the house before the arrival of officials. 

What did Pathak say on FIRs against him?

Commenting on the FIRs against him, he said that he wasn't aware of the same and that the police had not even contacted him. He added that he has always served the country with "honesty and integrity". 

"The country is bigger than any party - I will never betray it, nor allow anyone else to do so. If any action has been initiated against someone like me, it only shows how scared they are. I don’t wish to say anything further," he said.

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Is Pathak the only one?

Pathak, however, is not the only one to face the heat for leaving AAP to switch over to the BJP. A team of over 10 officials from the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) raided the Trident Group's Dhaula unit in Barnala district on Thursday evening, days after Trident Group chairman emeritus Rajinder Gupta joined the BJP. 

As part of their raid, the officials collected samples of discharged effluent, groundwater, and other relevant materials to ensure strict compliance with environmental safety standards, according to a PPCB official. 

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AAP MPs switch over to the BJP

Sandeep Pathak is among the seven Rajya Sabha MPs who recently quit the AAP and switched over to the BJP. Speaking on his decision to leave AAP, he said that he only wanted to work for the country and that was his only aim.

He added that working under the AAP became difficult due to several reasons and that is why he was forced to quit the party and join the BJP. Besides him, the others who joined the BJP are Raghav Chadha, Harbhajan Singh, Swati Maliwal, Rajinder Gupta, Vikramjit Sahney, and Ashok Mittal. 

Barring Swati Maliwal, the rest were AAP's Rajya Sabha MPs from Punjab. With all of them quitting together, the party lost 7 MPs in one go, and its strength came down from 10 to 3 MPs in the Upper House. 

What was Sandeep Pathak's role in AAP?

During his time in the AAP, Sandeep Pathak was closely associated with the party's workings in Punjab. Besides identifying individuals for important organisational roles, he was credited with conducting precise data analysis on candidates and key election issues. 

Pathak is also widely seen as a hard taskmaster and is credited with steering the AAP towards a decisive win against Congress in the 2022 assembly polls. He also served as Incharge for Gujarat and co-in charge for Punjab and Himachal Pradesh.