Delhi Police busts ‘Punjab Govt’ car with liquor, cash & AAP flyers; BJP hits out at Kejriwal
Delhi Police seized a vehicle labeled “Punjab government” near Punjab Bhavan on Copernicus Marg late Wednesday. Officers found cash, liquor, and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) pamphlets inside. The Flying Squad, responsible for enforcing the Model Code of Conduct, intercepted the Punjab-registered vehicle in New Delhi.
Authorities confirmed the car’s number plate was fake. Official records showed no connection between the vehicle and the Punjab government. According to Punjab’s Department of Information and Public Relations (DIPR), the registration belonged to a Ford EcoSport, not the Hyundai Creta seized by police. Records linked the vehicle’s owner, Maj. Anubhav Shivpuri, to Maharashtra’s Khadki. He previously served at Army Dental College in Pathankot.
BJP leaders reacted strongly. Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva condemned the incident, stating police seized Rs 10 lakh, liquor, and AAP election material. He accused Arvind Kejriwal of corrupting Delhi’s political system.
Sachdeva claimed Kejriwal first profited from liquor sales and now used money to influence elections. He urged stricter border checks to prevent AAP from smuggling cash and alcohol into Delhi. BJP candidate Satish Upadhyay also slammed AAP, alleging the party planned to buy votes. BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal labeled the discovery “disgusting,” accusing Kejriwal’s government of running on corruption and lies.
AAP dismissed the allegations as “hilarious.” Party spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar pointed out that the car never entered Punjab Bhavan and did not belong to the Punjab government. She also noted the vehicle’s registration traced back to BJP-ruled Maharashtra. Kakkar predicted BJP’s defeat in the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections.
The controversy erupted just days before Delhi’s February 5 elections. With tensions rising, both parties continue to trade accusations, setting the stage for an intense electoral battle. Vote counting for the 70-member Assembly will take place on February 8.
