Chandigarh: Government houses allotted to Punjab ministers and other top functionaries has become the new political flashpoint in the election-bound state after Congress leader and Bholath MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira flagged alleged unauthorised occupants belonging to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
On Saturday, Khaira issued a list of former ministers in the Delhi AAP government, Punjab observers appointed by the party’s Delhi team and members of the Punjab Development Commission among others who are allegedly occupying houses allotted to Punjab cabinet ministers and other government functionaries in the Circuit House complex in Sector 39, Chandigarh.
While the issue raised bigger questions over who is being accommodated in the state’s official residences, on whose authority and for what purpose, there has been no response from the Punjab government or the AAP in the matter.
There was no response from the Punjab chief secretary K. A. P. Sinha to calls and messages. When contacted, the party spokesperson Neel Garg said the party had no response in the matter as yet.
The controversy erupted Friday after Congress MLA Sukhpal Khaira raised questions over the alleged occupation of a government house in the Sector 39 complex by Gayatri Bishnoi, an AAP functionary who describes herself on X as a “Punjab state observer” and president of the women’s wing of AAP in Rajasthan.
Khaira alleged that Bishnoi was staying in a government residence in Sector 39 that had been allotted to AAP minister Ravjot Singh, but which, Khaira said, was currently occupied by AAP leader and former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia.
आज आपके और सिसोदिया के संदर्भ में किए गए महज़ एक संक्षिप्त उल्लेख से आप इतनी बौखला क्यों गईं, मैडम?
आपकी असंसदीय और अभद्र भाषा आपकी खराब परवरिश को स्पष्ट रूप से दर्शाती है!
मैं अपने इस आरोप को फिर दोहराता हूँ कि आप चंडीगढ़ के सेक्टर 39 स्थित मंत्री आवास नंबर 960 में रह रही हैं,… pic.twitter.com/VKCQyJe76A
— Sukhpal Singh Khaira (@SukhpalKhaira) September 25, 2026
Bishnoi subsequently hit back through a video message, acknowledging that she was staying in a government residence that had been allotted to cabinet minister Balbir Singh in Sector 39 and not the one that Khaira alleged.
Bishnoi showed in her video that she was living with her parents. She described her father as a heart patient who she claimed was undergoing treatment. She said the accommodation had been provided as a favour by Balbir Singh.
She accused Khaira of making personal and defamatory allegations and threatened legal action against him. “You cannot tolerate that we are working for the people of Punjab. I will make sure that you rot in jail,” said Bishnoi.
सुखपाल खैरा! तू इतना कमीना आदमी है ना, कि तू अपनी बेटियों की उम्र की लड़की को भी नहीं छोड़ता है। कैसा घटिया इंसान है तू! ‘थू’ है तुझ पर। तूने मेरे करैक्टर पर लांछन उठाया है ना।
पहले तो तू देख मैं कहाँ रहती हूँ।
और देखता रह। तुझे तो मैं अब जेल भिजवा कर ही दम लूँगी।… pic.twitter.com/iRajeHG2xZ
— Gayatri bishnoi (गायत्री बिश्नोई)🇮🇳 (@GayatriBishnoi_) September 25, 2026
The chairperson of the Punjab State Women’s Commission Raj Gill responded to Bishnoi’s video, saying that she would not tolerate “indignity” meted out to a woman and promised action in the matter.
THE PUNJAB STATE WOMEN COMMISSION WILL NOT TOLERATE ANY ATTACK ON A WOMAN’S DIGNITY.
Publicly maligning a woman’s character, making defamatory remarks on her life is a serious matter.
No one is above the law. Strict action will be initiated in accordance with law.
A woman’s…
— Raj Gill (@rajlali) September 25, 2026
Bishnoi’s video went viral on social media but the exchange moved beyond the two protagonists raising larger questions of unauthorised occupation of ministers’ houses by the Delhi AAP team.
Khaira has since put out a series of posts and went live Saturday, saying Bishnoi’s own admission that she was staying in a minister’s official residence had established the broader point he was making. He claimed that apart from Sisodia, several others are staying in government accommodation without being entitled to it.
He alleged that former Delhi minister Satyender Jain had occupied house number 926, AAP leader Deepak Chauhan’s personal assistant had occupied house number 902, Kamal Bansal the former chairperson of Tirth Yatra Vikas Samiti, Government of NCT of Delhi, and chairperson of Punjab Tirth Yatra Samiti, was occupying house number 905, Adil Khan, a Punjab State observer is occupying house number 927.
He also alleged Jitender Singh Shunty, a former AAP MLA from Delhi who is a member of the Punjab State Human Rights Commission is occupying house number 928 and AAP’s Delhi MLA Jarnail Singh is occupying house number 931.
House number 964 was occupied by Sisodia’s team members and house number 965 was being used as the AAP party’s office, Khaira has alleged. He added that Nabha house in Delhi which also belongs to the Punjab government was occupied by AAP functionaries and leaders. He said multiple rooms in BLock A, the VIP section of the Punjab Bhawan in New Delhi had been permanently fixed for AAP leaders.
Sector 39 in Chandigarh is a high security walled government residential complex that includes official residences allotted to Punjab ministers as well as a Circuit House used for government guests and officials visiting Chandigarh. On Saturday, as media persons tried to enter the complex, they were stopped by the security persons who claimed that they had orders from the “top” not to allow anyone inside the complex.
Khaira raised questions about these occupants of ministers’ residences, highlighting the alleged wider practice of the AAP to misuse state government funds to rehabilitate ex- Delhi ministers and party functionaries. He said that the ministers to whom the houses had been allotted were residing in other guest houses while preference was being given to people from the Delhi team.
He said that the members of the Delhi team were also directly interfering in the working of the Punjab government. He said that Enforcement Directorate (ED) had, after its recent action at the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA), reported that Satyendar Jain and Sisodia held unofficial meetings with GMADA officials concerning land-related decisions.
“AAP leaders Satyender Jain and Manish Sisodia have been regularly holding unofficial meeting with GMADA officials regarding master plans and site auctions. Critical decisions including fresh auctions and acquisitions by GMADA as well as determination of compensation were all taken informally under the instructions of Satyendra Jain,” said the ED note shared by Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Majithia on X.
“Files were taken by the senior GMADA officials outside PUDA Bhawan informally for meeting Satyendra Jain and Amarendra Jha at House No 926, Sector 39, Chandigarh and GMADA officials regarding important policy decisions like auction and master plan changes benefitting private individuals. The house was allotted to Sunny Singh Ahluwalia, AAP Leader, Chairman of Punjab Water Supply and Sewage Board. However, it was used by Satyendra Jain for illegally influencing the affairs of GMADA to generate undue gains for self and loss to exchequer,” reads the ED note.
🚨 गुरु दोखी समेत कट्टर ईमानदारों ने भ्रष्टाचार के सारे रिकॉर्ड तोड़ दिए! इनका नाम गिनीज बुक ऑफ वर्ल्ड रिकॉर्ड में शामिल किया जाए
👉 पंजाब को लूट कर खा गए गुरु दोखी इसके साथी, अब ED ने सारी पोल खोल दी है:
👉 57 करोड़ की माफी – सीधी लूट:ED ने कहा है कि GMADA के सीनियर… pic.twitter.com/C7P86FkD5i
— Bikram Singh Majithia (@bsmajithia) September 24, 2026
Sisodia had rejected the allegations as false, baseless and politically motivated. He said the BJP at the Centre had activated the ED to start raiding government offices in states where the Opposition was in power.
Other political leaders have since joined the housing controversy. Congress leader Pargat Singh demanded an inquiry into the matter. He said the ministers are sworn to secrecy in accordance with the Constitution and outsiders living in their house and dealing with official files was a violation of the Constitution and should be responded to strictly in accordance with the law.
Every Minister takes an oath of secrecy, yet Punjab government files and decisions are allegedly being controlled from Delhi leaders. The presence of Delhi-appointed individuals in ministers’ official residences raises serious questions about interference in Punjab’s governance.… pic.twitter.com/XYyMiQr4uD
— Pargat Singh (@PargatSOfficial) September 26, 2026
Earlier on X, he posted pictures of Bishnoi participating in official Punjab government functions and holding meetings.
ਪੰਜਾਬੀਆਂ ਦਾ ਖ਼ਜ਼ਾਨਾ ਅਤੇ ਸਰਕਾਰੀ ਅਸਾਸੇ ਦਿੱਲੀ ਦੇ ਧਾੜਵੀਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਐਸ਼ ਕਰਵਾਉਣ ਲਈ ਨਹੀਂ ਹਨ।
ਪੰਜਾਬ ਦੇ ਸਰਕਾਰੀ ਦਫ਼ਤਰਾਂ ਅਤੇ ਸਰਕਾਰੀ ਕੋਠੀਆਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਬੈਠ ਕੇ ਦਿੱਲੀ ਤੋਂ ਆਏ ਲੋਕਾਂ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਦੀ ਸਰਕਾਰ ਚਲਾਉਣਾ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਕਦੇ ਬਰਦਾਸ਼ਤ ਨਹੀਂ ਕਰਨਗੇ।
ਪਹਿਲਾਂ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਸਰਕਾਰ ਦੇ ਨੀਂਹ ਪੱਥਰਾਂ ’ਤੇ ਦਿੱਲੀ ਵਾਲਿਆਂ ਦੇ ਨਾਮ… pic.twitter.com/IoVWCLwfqV
— Pargat Singh (@PargatSOfficial) September 26, 2026
Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia has also raised questions about inconsistencies in Bishnoi’s statement adding that the language she had chosen to use against a sitting MLA was highly condemnable.
Paradoxes in AAP leader Ms Gayatri Bishnoi’s statements
👉 Ms Bishnoi ji is speaking about Kothi No. 959 while showing Kothi No. 961. Anger can sometimes make people confused, as they say, a lie has to be remembered.
👉 At least a daughter should have enough self respect not to… pic.twitter.com/VRPoyVROV7
— Bikram Singh Majithia (@bsmajithia) September 26, 2026
Senior BJP leader Sunil Jakhar told mediapersons Saturday while addressing a press conference on a separate issue that those who were occupying government houses which were not allotted to them should be asked to leave or charged the maintenance charges and also the rent which would run to several lakh rupees per month.
(Edited by Viny Mishra)
Also read: AAP holds protest at GMADA office in Mohali as ED’s searches continue