The ruling AAP on Wednesday hit back at the BJP after its leader and poll candidate from the New Delhi assembly seat, Parvesh Verma allegedly labeled people traveling in Punjab-registered vehicles in the national capital as a threat, with Republic Day celebrations around the corner.

Condemning Verma’s alleged remarks, and calling them an affront to the pride of Punjabis, AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday questioned, “Does the BJP consider all Punjabis as terrorists and traitors?” and further sought an immediate apology from the Union Home Minister Amit Shah for the alleged insult to the Punjabi community.

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AAP chief said, “Parvesh Verma’s remarks questioning the contribution of Punjabis have deeply hurt me, both as a citizen of Delhi and as a former Chief Minister of the city. Parvesh Verma said that vehicles from Punjab are roaming around Delhi, and he doesn’t know who the people in those vehicles are.

“He further claimed that they pose a security threat for the Republic Day celebrations on January 26. Are all Punjabis terrorists? Are all Punjabis anti-national? Are all Punjabis a threat to the country? This is deeply troubling and offensive,” claimed Kejriwal.

Recounting the contribution of the Punjabi community for the country and the national capital, Kejriwal said, “Punjabis have significantly contributed to the development of Delhi. The Delhi we see today owes a lot to the efforts of Punjabis.”

He added that the ancestors of today’s Punjabis made immense sacrifices for the nation, and also laid down their lives for the country, and have always been dedicated to serving India.

The AAP chief further mentioned that during the partition in 1947, millions of refugees from Pakistan came to Delhi, and despite having faced untold suffering and hardship, they rebuilt everything from scratch through their efforts, while also contributing immensely to the city’s growth.

The AAP chief also said, “We strongly oppose such divisive statements. We demand that Amit Shah apologize for these comments to the entire nation, and specifically to the Punjabi community.”

Kejriwal also took to social media platform X and expressed, “There are lakhs of Punjabis living in Delhi whose families and ancestors have made countless sacrifices for the country. By what BJP leaders are saying today, they are insulting their sacrifice. I felt very sad to hear this statement,” he added.

Senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh also criticized BJP leader Verma over his alleged remarks, and claimed that the saffron has deeply insulted the Sikh and Punjabi communities.

Singh has termed Verma’s remarks over Punjab registered vehicles roaming in Delhi as ‘highly offensive,’ further stating the same is an extremely serious accusation in itself.