BJP firebrand Kapil Mishra is at the center of a raging political storm after Punjab authorities slapped an FIR on him for alleged inflammatory remarks. The Delhi leader didn’t hold back, blasting the Bhagwant Mann government as ‘anti-national’ and hell-bent on suppressing dissenting voices.
The trigger was Mishra’s viral video addressing Punjab’s law-and-order failures, particularly rising Khalistani activities and farmer unrest. AAP supporters filed complaints, leading to swift police action under charges of hate speech and public mischief.
‘Instead of curbing drugs and terrorism, Punjab govt manufactures cases against patriots. This FIR is their desperation,’ Mishra thundered in a live session viewed by lakhs. He urged BJP karyakartas to hit the streets in solidarity.
Senior BJP figures piled on, with national spokesperson Sambit Patra questioning AAP’s selective outrage. ‘Why no FIRs against Khalistani sympathizers parading in Canada? Double standards exposed,’ Patra remarked.
Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav defended the FIR as routine procedure based on credible complaints, denying any political motivation. However, opposition leaders dismissed this as a cover-up.
This isn’t Mishra’s first brush with controversy. His 2020 Delhi speech had sparked riots allegations, later cleared by courts. Now, he’s framing the Punjab FIR as part of a pattern by ‘urban Naxals and their puppet governments.’
With assembly elections looming, the BJP sees gold in this grievance. State units are organizing dharnas, while Mishra plans a Punjab yatra to drum up support. AAP counters by accusing BJP of communal polarization.
Observers note Punjab’s complex politics—farmers, Sikhs, Hindus—make such flashpoints potent. Will this FIR boomerang on AAP or corner BJP? Only time, and perhaps courts, will tell.
