New Delhi/Chandigarh, 22 January 2025 – Delhi BJP leader Parvesh Verma drew sharp criticism from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) after alleging that vehicles with Punjab registration were a potential security risk in Delhi ahead of Republic Day celebrations.
AAP MP Malvinder Singh Kang called the remark an insult to Punjabis, accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of harboring animosity towards the community.
Verma’s statement, made on Tuesday, claimed, “Thousands of vehicles with Punjab registration plates are roaming around here. Who are in those vehicles? Preparations for celebrating January 26 are going on. What big thing are they planning that could threaten our security system?”
Reacting to the comment, Kang, MP from Anandpur Sahib, demanded an apology, stating, “You’ve insulted an entire community. Are Punjabis terrorists? Verma must apologize immediately.”
He also urged the BJP to take disciplinary action against Verma.
Addressing reporters on Wednesday, Kang said the remark reflected the BJP’s “mentality” towards Punjabis and accused the party of targeting the community to deflect attention from its waning popularity.
“The BJP’s frustration is evident as it faces defeat in the February 5 Delhi assembly polls,” he remarked.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had also denounced Verma’s comment, urging Union Home Minister Amit Shah to intervene and secure an apology from the BJP leader. Meanwhile, Kang asked BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa to clarify his stance on the issue, questioning whether he supported Verma’s controversial statement.
AAP asserted that Delhi’s voters would deliver a strong response to what Kang described as divisive rhetoric.
