The Punjab Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday, 31 July sharply questioned the arrest of Navdeep Singh, a Nihang Sikh youth, who was detained by the Congress-led government in Himachal Pradesh after allegedly filming a video at Shimla's Ridge near the Indira Gandhi statue. The party accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of applying double standards on the right to dissent and freedom of expression.

What BJP Alleged About the Arrest

BJP spokesperson Pritpal Singh Baliawal posted on X, addressing Gandhi directly: 'Sorry, Rahul-ji — Double Standards?' Baliawal alleged that Singh was first physically assaulted, then had an FIR registered against him, before being remanded to 10 days of judicial custody — actions he described as contradicting Gandhi's own public statements on the right to protest.

'First you broke their bones. Now you are filing FIRs and taking down their accounts,' Baliawal wrote, quoting what he described as Gandhi's own words. He argued that a Gen Z Sikh youth standing before a public statue to exercise dissent should be precisely the kind of case Gandhi defends — not one his party's government prosecutes.

BJP Challenges Gandhi on Freedom of Expression

Baliawal directly asked the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha whether principles of protest and free expression apply equally to all citizens or 'only when it suits the Congress.' He closed with a pointed note: 'The people of Punjab are watching. The people of India are watching.'

This comes amid a broader national debate over the limits of dissent and the treatment of minority community members exercising public protest. The Nihang Sikh community has historically maintained a distinct identity and asserts traditional rights of expression, making the arrest particularly sensitive in political terms.

Dhillon Backs Modi's Anti-Paper Leak Law

Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon separately welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's strong stance against the paper leak mafia and the stringent anti-paper leak legislation passed by Parliament. Dhillon called the Centre's move 'a visionary and much-needed step' toward protecting the futures of millions of students and ensuring transparency in competitive examinations.

He said the Modi government regards maintaining the sanctity of the education system as among its highest priorities, and that the Prime Minister had made clear no one who undermines the future of India's youth would be spared. Dhillon added that while paper leak incidents shatter student morale, the Prime Minister's firm stand has restored confidence among young aspirants nationwide.

AAP Government in Punjab Targeted

Dhillon also trained his fire on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab, alleging that while Arvind Kejriwal repeatedly mobilises youth in Delhi for political purposes, in Punjab — where AAP holds power — young aspirants continue to suffer from repeated examination irregularities. He argued the contrast undermines AAP's credibility on student welfare.

With assembly politics sharpening in both Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, the Navdeep Singh case is likely to remain a flashpoint between the BJP and Congress in the weeks ahead.