Video: Punjab AAP MLA slaps truck driver, then she explains what happened - The Indian Express

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA from Ludhiana (South) Rajinderpal Kaur Chhina allegedly “slapped” a truck driver in her constituency Monday. A video of the incident went viral Tuesday, prompting Opposition parties to accuse the ruling party of high-handedness.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Chhina, however, claimed that she did not “slap” the man, but instead “handed him over to the police for breaking traffic rules.”

In the video, a tipper truck is seen entering the Daba-Lohara road, where Chhina, accompanied by her gunman and two to three others, intercepts the driver. Chhina opens the driver’s-side door, after which the driver steps out of the vehicle.

Chhina then allegedly slaps the driver in the presence of onlookers. A heated argument subsequently ensues between the MLA and the driver, after which Chhina is seen making phone calls.

Meanwhile, the driver, along with his supporters, sat in protest late Monday.

“She was following my vehicle, and as soon as I stopped and alighted from my truck, she slapped me. Later, she said I was driving recklessly,” he told the local media.

Chhina said she had received complaints from people in her constituency that tipper trucks create nuisance during the day.

“I had submitted a complaint regarding the issue to the DC and SDM. Road construction is also under way in the area. A JCB was deployed and the tipper was adding to the chaos,” Chhina said.

“The tipper had hit a bike. I rushed to stop him before he could hit another vehicle. I had only asked him to hand over his vehicle’s keys to me. I did not slap. Then I called the police and handed him over for further action. The tipper was overloaded and it was getting unbalanced. The driver also later apologised to me,” she added.

She also hit out at Opposition parties for “trying to defame me due to the approaching Punjab elections”. “Why would I slap someone if the police are doing their work? Now Opposition parties will adopt all these tactics to defame me due to elections,” she added.

Inspector Jatinder Singh, SHO Daba Police Station, said they issued a challan to the driver for wrong parking and later released him. ‘I was not present on the spot when the argument happened between him and the MLA,” he added.

The alleged assault on the driver by Chhina has drawn sharp criticism from Opposition leaders, who accused her of misusing her position and taking the law into her own hands.

Former Union minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ravneet Singh Bittu posted the video on X.

“The brazen assault on a poor truck driver by AAP MLA Rajinderpal Kaur Chhina- simply over not getting the side on road– is absolute arrogance of power and blatant hooliganism,” Bittu, former Ludhiana MP, said in the post.

“Under the Bhagwant Mann government, elected legislators have turned law unto themselves, openly humiliating hardworking citizens on streets. CM Bhagwant Mann must clarify– will an FIR be registered against his MLA, or will his government actively shield such street bullying?” he asked.

Senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia also posted about the alleged assault on the “poor truck driver by AAP MLA Chhina” “In their eyes, the poor have no worth at all,” the former Punjab minister wrote on X.

“The alleged manhandling of a poor truck driver by AAP MLA Rajinderpal Kaur Chhina is deeply shameful and unacceptable. Power cannot be a license to intimidate ordinary citizens,” BJP Rajya Sabha MP Tarun Chugh wrote on X.

“The MLA was even pressing for the FIR against the truck driver but they then sat on protest. How can she take the law into her own hands and slap someone on the road?” Congress’s Ludhiana South in-charge Ishwarjot Singh Cheema asked.

This is not the first time that Chhina has found herself in the middle of a controversy.

In 2022, she allegedly publicly rebuked IPS officer Jyoti Yadav, who was then posted as an additional commissioner of police in Ludhiana. She allegedly asked Yadav to take her “permission” before conducting anti-drug searches in her constituency. Yadav is now the wife of AAP leader and Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains.

In February this year, the Ludhiana police registered an FIR against her daughter-in-law and her parents for alleged ‘Australian PR fraud’ with the legislator’s son.

During the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Ludhiana police registered an FIR based on Chhina’s complaint after she alleged she received international phone calls offering her Rs 5 crore to defect from the AAP to the BJP.

Divya Goyal is a Principal Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in Ludhiana (Punjab). She is widely recognized for her human-interest storytelling and in-depth investigative reporting on social and political issues in the region. Professional Profile Experience: With over 13 years in journalism, she joined The Indian Express in 2012. She previously worked with Hindustan Times. Education: A gold medalist in English Journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Delhi. Core Beats: She covers a diverse range of subjects, including gender issues, education, the Sikh diaspora, heritage, and the legacy of the Partition. She has also reported on minority communities in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Awards and Recognition Divya has earned significant acclaim for her sensitivity toward gender and social disparities: Laadli Media Award (2020): For her investigative report "Punjab: The Invisible Drug Addicts," which exposed the gender disparity in treating women addicts. Laadli Media Award (2023): For a ground report on the struggles of two girls who had to ride a boat to reach their school in a border village of Punjab. Signature Style Divya is known for "humanizing the news." Rather than just reporting on policy, she often focuses on the individuals affected by it—such as students dealing with exam stress, farmers struggling with diversification, or families impacted by crime. Her work often bridges the gap between West (Pakistan) and East (India) Punjab, exploring shared heritage and common struggles. X (Twitter): @DivyaGoyal_ ... Read More