Chandigarh:
It was meant to be a show of unity but turned into a political roast. A day-long marathon meeting between Punjab Congress leaders and the party’s central leadership in Chandigarh spilled over into a political war of words, with a video showing several senior Congress leaders squeezed into a single SUV becoming fodder for mockery by the BJP and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
The video, shared by BJP and AAP leaders, shows Congress leader Sachin Pilot driving the SUV, with Congress general secretary KC Venugopal seated in the front passenger seat. Punjab Congress leaders Partap Singh Bajwa, Charanjit Singh Channi, Raja Warring and Pargat Singh appear squeezed into the rear seat, triggering a wave of sarcastic political commentary.
Explaining the car ride, Pilot said, “I was driving, and Venugopal ji was sitting in the front. It was Pargat Singh ji’s car. Raja ji and Channi ji were sitting with us. Bajwa ji hosted the lunch.”
However, the visuals soon became a talking point, with the BJP and AAP using them to target the Congress over the perceived influence of its central leadership in Punjab and the party’s internal political dynamics.
ਦਿੱਲੀ ਵਾਲਿਆਂ ਦੇ ਕੁੱਛੜ ਬੈਠੀ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਕਾਂਗਰਸ!! ਨਾ ਤਾਂ ਪਾਇਲਟ ਮੋਗੇ ਤੋਂ ਹੈ, ਨਾ ਹੀ ਵੇਣੂਗੋਪਾਲ ਹੁਸ਼ਿਆਰਪੁਰ ਤੋਂ! ਵਿਚਾਰੇ ਪ੍ਰਧਾਨ ਪ੍ਰਗਟ ਸਿੰਘ ਨੂੰ ਸੀਟ ਹੀ ਨਹੀਂ ਮਿਲੀ🤔🤔 @AAPPunjab @BhagwantMann @msisodia https://t.co/grINtYIWaF
— Baltej Pannu (@BaltejPannu) October 26, 2026
AAP Targets Congress Leadership
AAP spokesperson Baltej Pannu took a swipe at the Punjab Congress, suggesting that the state unit was being overshadowed by its Delhi leadership.
“Punjab Congress is sitting in the laps of the leaders from Delhi! Neither is Pilot from Moga nor is Venugopal from Hoshiarpur! Poor state president Pargat Singh did not even get a seat,” Pannu said in a sarcastic post.
The jibe was aimed at the presence of the central leadership alongside Punjab’s senior Congress leaders, with Pannu also highlighting that Pargat Singh, the state Congress president, appeared to have been left without enough space in the vehicle.
Ravneet Bittu’s Dig At Congress
BJP leader Ravneet Singh Bittu also joined the attack, taking a swipe at the Congress leadership over the visuals.
ਦਿੱਲੀ ਵਾਲਿਆਂ ਨੇ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਕਾਂਗਰਸ ਦੀ ਪੰਡ ਬੰਨ ਕੇ ਗੱਡੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਸੁੱਟ ਤਾਂ ਲਈ, ਪਰ ਮੀਡੀਆ ਵਾਲਿਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਬੇਨਤੀ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਨਜ਼ਰ ਰੱਖਣ ਇਹ ਸਹੀ ਸਲਾਮਤ ਗੱਡੀ ਵਿਚੋਂ ਉਤਰ ਦੇ ਨੇ ਜਾ ਨਹੀਂ। https://t.co/uGDfeGBhu3
— Ravneet Singh Bittu (@RavneetBittu) October 26, 2026
“The leaders from Delhi have tied up the Punjab Congress into a bundle and thrown it into the car. But I request the media to keep an eye on whether they manage to get out of the car safely or not,” Bittu said.
The remark added to the political mockery surrounding the video, with the BJP seeking to portray the Congress leadership as cramped and struggling to accommodate its leaders, both literally and politically.
Congress’ ‘Hanger And Leader’ Jibe At AAP
ਘੱਟੋ-ਘੱਟ ਇਹ ਗੱਡੀ ਦੇ ਅੰਦਰ ਤਾਂ ਬੈਠੇ ਨੇ! ਤੁਹਾਡੇ ਵਾਲਿਆਂ ਵਾਂਗ ਗੱਡੀ ਦੇ ਪਾਸੇ ਲਟਕਣਾ ਤਾਂ ਨਹੀਂ ਪੈ ਰਿਹਾ, ਬਲਤੇਜ ਪੰਨੂ ਜੀ! Hanger ਤੇ Leader ਦਾ ਫ਼ਰਕ ਤਾਂ ਸਮਝੋ! 😂 @BaltejPannu @AAPPunjab @BhagwantMann https://t.co/7ZPEgEbPg1
— Durlabh singh (@Raresidhu) October 26, 2026
Congress leader Durlabh Singh, considered close to former Punjab Congress chief Raja Warring, retaliated against Pannu by sharing a video of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann hanging from a moving vehicle during an AAP roadshow, while party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal was inside the vehicle or positioned through its sunroof.
Accompanying the video, Durlabh Singh wrote, “At least these leaders are sitting inside the car! Unlike your leaders, who have to hang from the side of the vehicle, Baltej Pannu ji! Understand the difference between a hanger and a leader!”
The post, complete with a laughing emoji, turned the exchange into a broader war of political one-upmanship between the Congress and AAP.
The episode comes amid intense political activity within the Punjab Congress, with senior state leaders meeting the party’s central leadership in Chandigarh. What was meant to be a show of togetherness has instead provided political rivals an opportunity to question the state unit’s relationship with its central leadership, while Congress has responded by turning the spotlight on AAP’s own roadshow optics.
