Punjab BJP President Sunil Kumar Jakhar has ignited a political firestorm after penning a strongly worded letter to Governor Gulab Chand Kataria, alleging a “grave constitutional breach” and “institutional abuse” by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. In his letter, Jakhar raised serious concerns about the misuse of the state’s intelligence machinery for political espionage, calling for a judicial or independent inquiry into the matter. Jakhar’s charges stem from a controversial statement made by the Chief Minister on the floor of the Punjab Legislative Assembly. Mann had stated, “Main sarkar vich haan, mere kol intelligence hai,” implying that he directly controls and accesses intelligence resources. Jakhar interpreted this as an explicit admission of deploying state intelligence for monitoring political rivals—a move he decried as an attack on democratic principles and a clear violation of constitutional decorum.

“This was not a stray or offhand remark,” Jakhar wrote. “It was a public admission of deploying the state intelligence network for surveillance on political rivals—a serious subversion of democratic norms and institutional propriety.” What raised further eyebrows was the sudden transfer of Additional Director General of Police (Intelligence), R.K. Jaiswal, shortly after the Chief Minister’s statement. Jakhar questioned whether the transfer was linked to Jaiswal’s alleged refusal to comply with politically motivated instructions. “Was he removed for resisting pressure to turn the intelligence wing into a private tool of the ruling party?” the letter asked.

Jakhar emphasized that such politicization of intelligence resources compromises the state’s ability to respond to real threats. As an example, he pointed to the grenade attack on the residence of senior BJP leader Manoranjan Kalia in Jalandhar on the night of April 7–8. He described it as a chilling reminder of how distracted or misused intelligence operations can leave genuine security vulnerabilities unaddressed. Given Punjab’s sensitive geographical position as a border state, Jakhar argued that the issue extends beyond state politics and touches on national security. “This is not just a state issue, but a matter of national security,” he said, urging the Governor to escalate the matter to the Central government and national investigative agencies.

Jakhar termed the entire episode “IntelGate Punjab”, alleging that the current situation reveals a “dangerous and deliberate pattern of institutional capture for political ends.” He asserted that this is not an isolated incident but part of a deeper, systemic misuse of state machinery. In conclusion, Jakhar’s letter called on Governor Kataria to initiate a high-level judicial or independent inquiry, evaluate the rationale behind the ADGP’s abrupt transfer, and examine the overall misuse of the intelligence apparatus in the state. He further urged the Governor to recommend the involvement of national-level agencies to safeguard institutional integrity and state security. As the controversy unfolds, it is expected to stir heated debate in political and legal circles alike, especially given the charged atmosphere in Punjab’s political landscape ahead of the national elections.