SAD’s Bikram Singh Majithia left with one-fourth of his security cover even as Punjab Police defend move

The issue of the reduction of the security cover has kicked up a political storm with Majithia getting support cutting across party lines. Sukhbir Singh Badal, Majithia’s brother-in-law and former SAD president, visited him at his residence on Wednesday to express his solidarity.

Meanwhile, the police rejected reports that Majithia’s security cover was completely withdrawn, clarifying that the cover had only been scaled down based on a reassessment of threat perception.

Arpit Shukla, Special DGP (Law and Order), said the adjustment was made following the latest recommendations of the Security Review Committee. “Security for any prominent individual is reviewed periodically based on threat assessment. Accordingly, it is either increased or decreased,” said Shukla, while adding that Majithia still retained an escort vehicle and an adequate number of armed personnel, ensuring his safety as per protocol.

Majithia has trashed this explanation and said that till just a few days ago, he was being asked to arrange his own bulletproof vehicle as there was no vehicle available to be allotted to him. “I was asked to make available the registration certificate of the vehicle which I wanted to be bullet-proofed,” he said.

Speaking to the media in Chandigarh, Majithia said he received information about the withdrawal of security personnel at 7 pm on March 29. “Which government office works at that time during the weekend? What was the tearing hurry? Why have AAP people like Manish Sisodia, Satyendra Jain, Bibhav Kumar and Vijay Nair been given high security by Punjab Police,” he asked.

Badal said the AAP government had deliberately reduced Majithia’s security cover and termed it as politics of revenge. He added that the AAP was trying to involve Majithia in false cases. He also linked the move to the attack on himself outside the Golden Temple in Amritsar. “In my case the police have not even taken my statement or that of my security personnel and submitted the challan in the case. This is the first time that the victim’s statement has not been taken. This is because the attack was planned by them,” he said.

Sources said that the decision on the security cover was a direct result of the potshots Majithia had taken at Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann almost daily. He has been making statements targeting Mann and challenging him to take whatever action he wants to be taken against him.

Meanwhile, the BJP has said the reduction of Majithia’s security is part of a “political vendetta”.

“Under @BhagwantMann & @ArvindKejriwal, Punjab has turned into a land of revenge-driven governance. Instead of ensuring security for political leaders, the AAP government flaunts security withdrawals like trophies—just as it did before the tragic assassination of @iSidhuMooseWala. Few of our party outspoken leaders are also under threat yet again intentionally not providing them security and withdrawing from most of them, despite credible threats to their lives. Meanwhile, security was withdrawn from AAP leaders despite objections from the concerned authorities, only to be quietly reinstated—all while defeated AAP leaders from Delhi enjoy full protection at Punjab’s expense! The latest victim of this vendetta @bsmajithia, targeted while @ArvindKejriwal and his corrupt gang enjoy Z+ security without even holding official posts! Is Punjab’s CM so weak and insecure that he must silence his critics instead of confronting them? This is not governance—this is dictatorship,” the party wrote in a statement put out on X on Wednesday.