Published on: Oct 15, 2025 | 9:18 AM IST

The political temperature in Punjab rose sharply on Tuesday after Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) state president Aman Aroraaccused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of protecting Jaipur resident Navneet Chaturvedi, who has been booked for allegedly forging the signatures of AAP MLAs in his nomination papers for a Rajya Sabha (RS) bypoll. Arora alleged that the BJP was “shielding” Chaturvedi from arrest and trying to “steal” the election.

Addressing a press conference in Chandigarh, Arora said Chaturvedi attempted to fraudulently contest the Rajya Sabha bypoll by submitting forged documents. “After Sanjeev Arora resigned from the Rajya Sabha, Chaturvedi filed a nomination for the vacant seat. On October 6, he submitted one set of nomination papers listing 10 AAP legislators as proposers, but without their signatures. Then, he filed another nomination paper, this time including forged signatures of AAP MLAs Rajneesh Dahiya and Fauja Singh Sarari, among others,” Arora alleged.

Both Dahiya and Sarari were present at the press briefing and corroborated the charges, saying their names and signatures were used without consent.

Forgery case and arrest drama

According to the Punjab Police, multiple First Information Reports (FIRs) have been registered after several AAP MLAs complained that their signatures on Chaturvedi’s nomination forms were fake. Ropar MLA Dinesh Kumar Chadha, one of the alleged victims, lodged a complaint that led to an FIR being filed late Monday night.

Following the complaint, the Ropar Police obtained arrest warrants for Chaturvedi. Arora said that when a team arrived in Chandigarh to detain the accused, Chandigarh Police intervened and “whisked him away in an official government vehicle.”

“This clearly shows that the Chandigarh administration, acting under the direction of the Union home ministry and the BJP, is trying to shield Chaturvedi,” Arora alleged. “It’s an attempt by the BJP to manipulate a democratic process, much like what we saw during the Chandigarh mayoral elections.”

Arora demanded that Chaturvedi be handed over to the Ropar Police immediately and accused the BJP-led central government of using administrative machinery to obstruct the law.

Background of the controversy

The bypoll for the Rajya Sabha seat was announced after the resignation of AAP MP Sanjeev Arora earlier this year. Chaturvedi, a resident of Jaipur, had submitted his nomination for the vacancy, claiming the support of 10 AAP legislators. However, scrutiny revealed irregularities, with several MLAs stating that they had never signed or endorsed his nomination.

During verification, the Election Commission officials rejected Chaturvedi’s nomination papers after AAP MLAs present at the venue formally denied the authenticity of their signatures.

Arora said the entire episode was a “criminal conspiracy to defame AAP and hijack the electoral process.” He added that the incident exposed how “the BJP was trying to undermine free and fair elections using fraudulent methods.”

BJP’s rebuttal

The Punjab BJP has dismissed AAP’s allegations as baseless and politically motivated. Ashwani Sharma, the party’s working president, said the BJP had no role in the alleged forgery and questioned why the ruling AAP was attempting to link his party to an individual’s wrongdoing.

“What is the need for the BJP to get into this scheme of a Rajya Sabha seat when we have only two members in the house?” Sharma asked. “This is nothing more than a diversionary tactic by the AAP to hide its internal mismanagement and failures.”

He further added that the BJP neither supports nor has any connection with Chaturvedi, asserting that the party believes in “clean and transparent electoral practices.”

Legal developments and ongoing investigation

Police sources confirmed that the case involves charges related to forgery, impersonation, and criminal conspiracyunder relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code. The Ropar Police, with assistance from cyber and forensic units, is examining the documents and digital trail connected to the forged signatures.

Officials said the Punjab Police has written to Chandigarh authorities seeking custody of Chaturvedi, while coordination between both jurisdictions continues. “The matter is under active investigation. No one involved in forgery will be spared,” a senior police officer said.

Meanwhile, AAP leaders have urged the Election Commission to take cognisance of the incident and ensure accountability. “If someone can forge documents to enter the Rajya Sabha, it’s a direct threat to democracy,” Arora said.

The controversy has added another flashpoint to the already tense political relationship between AAP, which governs Punjab, and the BJP-led central government, which oversees the Union Territory of Chandigarh.

As the investigation unfolds, both parties appear ready to escalate the matter politically — AAP framing it as a test of democratic integrity, and BJP calling it a desperate attempt by AAP to deflect criticism amid growing internal rifts.