AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday, 28 May 2026, publicly challenged the Intelligence Bureau (IB) after claiming he personally called a number that had allegedly been contacting AAP workers in Gujarat and that the person who answered identified themselves as being from the IB. Kejriwal said he asked under which law a citizen travelling from one state to another for work is required to get verified by the IB — and that the call was disconnected without an answer.

What Kejriwal Said

Posting in Hindi, Kejriwal described the episode as 'bahut sangeen mamla' ('a very serious matter'). He wrote that after calling the number himself and confirming the person claimed to be from the IB, he introduced himself as Arvind Kejriwal and asked: 'Aap kis qaanoon mein verification kar rahe ho?' ('Under which law are you conducting this verification?'). He said the caller immediately hung up and has not picked up since.

Kejriwal urged all his followers to call the number themselves and ask the same question. He also called on IB to publicly clarify whether the number belongs to them, and announced that on his next visit to Gujarat he would personally go to the IB office to seek answers.

He further directed AAP workers in Gujarat to post on social media the next time they receive such a call, so the public can also ask questions directly.

Context: AAP's Recurring Complaints Against Central Agencies

This is not the first time AAP has raised concerns about the conduct of central agencies toward its cadre. Since 2014, the party has publicly alleged that central investigative and intelligence agencies have been used to target its leaders and workers. AAP governs Delhi and Punjab, both of which share a frequently adversarial relationship with the BJP-led central government.

In Gujarat — a BJP stronghold — AAP maintains a small but active organisational presence, including networks among inter-state migrant workers. Complaints about surveillance or verification calls to political workers in the state have surfaced before without any formal clarification from the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Policy Backdrop: Legal Limits of IB Verification

The Intelligence Bureau operates under the Ministry of Home Affairs and is India's primary domestic intelligence agency. Its mandate covers internal security, but there is no publicly codified statute that requires citizens travelling between states for employment to register with or be verified by the IB. The legal basis — if any — for such calls to ordinary workers or political volunteers has never been formally explained by the government.

Indian opposition parties have repeatedly raised concerns about the accountability of central intelligence agencies, particularly regarding activities that cross state boundaries and appear to target political opponents. These concerns have rarely been addressed through official channels.

Stakeholders and Impact

AAP's Gujarat unit workers and inter-state migrant labourers are the most directly affected. If the calls are genuine IB activity, they raise serious questions about the legal authority under which such verification is being conducted. If the calls are not from the IB, the matter becomes one of impersonation of a central agency — itself a criminal offence.

The episode also has implications for centre-state relations, a fault line that has widened considerably between AAP-governed states and the central government in recent years.

What's Next

Kejriwal has put the Ministry of Home Affairs and the IB on notice, demanding a public clarification on whether the number in question belongs to the agency and under what legal framework such verifications are conducted. A formal response — or the absence of one — will likely determine whether AAP escalates the matter in Parliament or through legal channels. Kejriwal's stated intention to visit the IB office in Gujarat in person adds a direct confrontational dimension that will be closely watched.