Chandigarh, October 24, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has criticised the Narendra Modi-led Central government following the National Human Rights Commission’s (NHRC) inspection of super deluxe buses carrying elderly pilgrims under the Punjab government’s Mukh Mantri Tirath Yatra Scheme.
AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal alleged that the inspection was an attempt to disrupt the Bhagwant Mann government’s free pilgrimage initiative for senior citizens. He questioned why the NHRC had inspected the buses used for the scheme and whether similar inspections had ever been conducted on roadways buses operated by other states.
In a post on X, Kejriwal said the NHRC, the country’s principal human rights body, had inspected buses carrying pilgrims from Punjab for religious visits.
“The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the country’s highest human rights body, has inspected buses for the first time in its history. Which buses? The super deluxe buses taking people from Punjab on ‘tirth yatra’,” he said.
Kejriwal questioned the nature of the observations made during the inspection, including concerns about the partition between the driver and passengers.
He asked whether the commission had inspected Uttar Pradesh Roadways buses or buses operated by the transport corporations of other states, alleging that its action had focused exclusively on Punjab’s pilgrimage buses.
“PM Modi, why are you so determined to stop elderly people from undertaking tirth yatra? Why do you want to invite the curses of the elderly? You will incur a great deal of sin. All Punjabis will curse you,” Kejriwal said.
Senior AAP leader and Punjab in-charge Manish Sisodia also criticised the NHRC’s inspection, accusing the commission of applying its mandate selectively.
Referring to other incidents in which he said the commission had remained silent, Sisodia mentioned the detention of young people for hoisting the national flag, the use of pellet guns against students, alleged harassment of women on college campuses and cases of illegal detention.
He contrasted those issues with the inspection of Punjab’s pilgrimage buses, questioning why concerns about bus facilities had prompted the commission to act.
“When a person is shot, there is silence; when someone feels hot, there is an investigation. You might as well change the name of the Commission from the ‘Human Rights Commission’ to the ‘BJP Rights Commission’,” Sisodia said.
The AAP also accused the BJP of using the country’s human rights institution for political purposes, describing the inspection as an attempt to undermine the Punjab government’s welfare initiative.
Under the Mukh Mantri Tirath Yatra Scheme, the Bhagwant Mann government arranges free religious pilgrimages for elderly residents of Punjab to several prominent religious destinations. These include Sri Amritsar Sahib, Sri Anandpur Sahib, Sri Kiratpur Sahib, Mata Naina Devi Temple, Haridwar-Rishikesh, Mathura-Vrindavan, Salasar Balaji Dham and Sri Khatu Shyam Ji.
The state government covers the entire cost of the pilgrimage and makes arrangements for participating devotees.
According to figures cited by the AAP, approximately seven lakh elderly people had benefited from the scheme as of October 14. Of these, around 5.5 lakh had visited Amritsar, Wagah Border, Ram Tirath and Durgiana Temple.
The party said another one lakh pilgrims had visited Sri Anandpur Sahib, while approximately 15,000 each had travelled to Mathura, Khatu Shyam and Haridwar-Rishikesh.
The AAP questioned the NHRC’s involvement in inspecting the buses, asking whether the commission was acting like a Regional Transport Office rather than focusing on human rights issues.
The allegations against the Central government and the NHRC were made by AAP leaders following the inspection. The party maintained that the free pilgrimage scheme was intended to help elderly residents visit religious sites without bearing the financial burden themselves.
FOLLOW NOW
