The BJP has questioned the timing of Bhullar’s removal, while the Punjab government has maintained that his comments were misrepresented and did not link Jantar Mantar protesters to the alleged terror conspiracy.
BY PC Bureau
August 7, 2026: A political controversy has erupted in Punjab following the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government’s decision to remove Amritsar Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, just days after he disclosed details of an investigation into an alleged Pakistan-backed terror module and referred to its purported links with the recent protests at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has questioned the timing of the transfer, alleging that Bhullar’s removal has fuelled speculation over whether his remarks on the investigation had embarrassed the ruling establishment.
In an order issued by the Punjab Home Affairs Department on Friday, Bhullar was transferred out as Commissioner of Police, Amritsar, and directed to report to the office of the Director General of Police (DGP) until further posting orders. Harmanbir Singh, who was serving as Deputy Inspector General (DIG), Border Range, Amritsar, has been appointed the new Police Commissioner.
The reshuffle came barely days after the Amritsar Police announced the busting of an alleged Pakistan-backed terror module and the arrest of nine suspects, including four minors.
According to the police, the accused were allegedly operating under the instructions of handlers linked to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and had been carrying out reconnaissance of sensitive security installations in Punjab.
The AAP-led Punjab Government has replaced Gurpreet Singh Bhullar as Amritsar Police Commissioner.
Bhullar had led the probe into an alleged ISI-linked terror module accused of plotting a petrol bomb attack at Jantar Mantar.
Question to the AAP Punjab Government: Why was… pic.twitter.com/vv19AeQSkI
— Dilpreet Grewal ☬ (@DpreetG) August 7, 2026
Addressing the media on August 4, Bhullar had said preliminary investigations suggested that some of those arrested had travelled to Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, conducted reconnaissance and were allegedly planning to target security personnel deployed at the protest venue using petrol bombs.
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Police had also claimed to have recovered three pistols, nine live cartridges and four petrol bottle bombs from the accused during the operation.
The remarks triggered widespread political debate, particularly because the Jantar Mantar protests had attracted significant national attention.
Amid the controversy, the Punjab government issued a clarification, asserting that Bhullar’s statements had been taken out of context.
According to the government, the Police Commissioner had not stated that the arrested individuals were participants in the Jantar Mantar protests, nor had he alleged that the protesters themselves had any connection with the suspected terror module.
The government maintained that selectively edited video clips circulating on social media had created a misleading impression that Bhullar had linked the protest movement to the accused, resulting in confusion and political controversy.
Despite the clarification, the Commissioner’s sudden transfer has become a fresh flashpoint between the BJP and the AAP government.
Former Union Minister and senior BJP leader Ravneet Singh Bittu questioned the timing of the move and suggested that it was linked to Bhullar’s public disclosures about the investigation.
In a post on X, Bittu wrote:
“The timing of Gurpreet Bhullar’s transfer is bound to raise eyebrows. Did his accurate revelations about the alleged Jantar Mantar plot trouble Kejriwal?”
The AAP government has not indicated that the transfer was connected to Bhullar’s comments, and no official reason has been cited in the transfer order. Administrative reshuffles involving senior police officers are common in Punjab, but the proximity of the transfer to the Commissioner’s statements has ensured that the move remains under intense political scrutiny.
The controversy is expected to intensify in the coming days as opposition parties seek answers from the Punjab government over the circumstances surrounding the transfer, while investigators continue probing the alleged cross-border terror module and its suspected links with Pakistan-based handlers.
