Punjab’s Aam Aadmi Party government has withdrawn the state security cover of former cricketer and Rajya Sabha member Harbhajan Singh, intensifying a political confrontation triggered by his exit from the party and reported move to the Bharatiya Janata Party. Police personnel posted outside Singh’s residence in Jalandhar’s Chhotti Baradari locality were removed on Saturday, with the protective detail understood to have comprised nine to ten Punjab Police personnel. The withdrawal came after Singh was named among seven Rajya Sabha members who had parted ways with the Aam Aadmi Party, a development that has unsettled the party’s national leadership and sharpened the political battle in Punjab.
Singh, one of the country’s best-known former spin bowlers, entered Parliament in 2022 after being elected to the Rajya Sabha from Punjab on an AAP ticket. His move away from the party marks a high-profile setback for the organisation, which had projected his nomination as part of a broader effort to bring prominent professionals and public figures into the Upper House.
The security withdrawal has also drawn attention because it followed political protests outside the homes of some defecting MPs. Party workers held demonstrations outside the residences of Harbhajan Singh, Ashok Mittal and Rajinder Gupta, while graffiti using the word “Gaddar” was sprayed on boundary walls at locations linked to the leaders in Ludhiana and Jalandhar.
Central Reserve Police Force personnel were later seen deployed outside Singh’s Jalandhar residence, indicating that the Centre had stepped in after the state cover was removed. The change has turned a routine security decision into a wider dispute over political vendetta, threat assessment and the treatment of MPs who change allegiance.
AAP has responded to the defections by moving against the lawmakers in Parliament. Party leader Sanjay Singh has said a petition has been submitted to the Rajya Sabha Chairman seeking disqualification of the MPs under the anti-defection framework, arguing that their shift violates the mandate on which they entered the Upper House.
BJP leaders and opposition figures in Punjab have criticised the state government over the security decision, saying the removal of police protection immediately after the political switch raises questions about whether security assessments are being shaped by party considerations. Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia accused the government of exposing MPs to risk, while BJP general secretary Tarun Chugh alleged that police had failed to protect the residences of elected representatives during protests.
The Punjab government has not issued a detailed public explanation of the threat reassessment that led to the withdrawal. Security categories are generally reviewed by authorities based on threat perception, public profile, political exposure and intelligence inputs. The timing, however, has ensured that the action is being read through the lens of Punjab’s rapidly changing political alignments.
Singh’s departure carries symbolic weight for AAP because he was among the prominent names chosen after the party’s sweeping victory in the 2022 Punjab Assembly election. His cricketing career, Jalandhar roots and public profile gave the party a recognisable national figure at a time when it was seeking to expand beyond Delhi and Punjab.
The defection episode has also revived scrutiny of AAP’s Rajya Sabha strategy. The party’s nominations from Punjab had drawn attention because several of its MPs came from outside traditional party ranks, including public figures, entrepreneurs and professionals. The movement of several such MPs away from the party has given rivals an opportunity to question the durability of AAP’s organisational hold over its parliamentary group.
For the BJP, the shift offers both numerical and narrative advantage. The party has been trying to widen its influence in Punjab after the end of its long alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal. The entry of recognisable public figures and sitting Rajya Sabha members strengthens its messaging that opposition leaders are moving towards the party ahead of future electoral contests.
AAP leaders, however, have framed the defections as a betrayal of voters and party workers. Protests across Punjab have reflected anger within the cadre, though the use of aggressive slogans and graffiti has invited criticism from opponents who argue that political disagreement should not spill into intimidation.
Singh has so far maintained a low public profile on the security controversy. His personal staff confirmed the withdrawal of the Punjab Police detail, while the visible deployment of central forces outside his home suggested that protection arrangements had not ended altogether but shifted from state to central control.