NHRC, AAP face-off over safety of buses ferrying pilgrims under Punjab scheme

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday locked horns over the safety of buses ferrying pilgrims under the Punjab government’s Mukh Mantri Tirath Yatra scheme, with Commission member Priyank Kanoongo questioning how sleeper buses were operating in the state despite an earlier response from its transport department that no such vehicles were registered.

The confrontation followed the NHRC’s direction to Punjab Chief Secretary KAP Sinha to personally ensure the inspection of all buses deployed under the scheme and submit a report within seven days. The commission acted on a complaint alleging alleging that air-conditioned sleeper buses used for the pilgrimages had unauthorised structural modifications, partitions separating drivers from passengers, obstructed emergency exits and inadequate fire safety arrangements.

Reacting to the notice, AAP national convenor Arvind Keriwal said it was for the “first time in history that country’s human rights institution has conducted bus inspections”.

“Which buses? The super deluxe buses that take Punjab’s people on pilgrimages. Has NHRC inspected UP Roadways buses? No. Have they inspected roadways buses from any other state? No. Only the pilgrimage super deluxe buses from Punjab were inspected,” said Kejriwal in a post on X.

“PM Modi, why are you so determined to stop elderly people from undertaking tirth yatra?” Kejriwal asked, accusing the Centre of attempting to derail the Bhagwant Mann government’s scheme.

“Don’t be afraid, Arvind! We haven’t yet launched an investigation into the commissions you’re getting from running these buses,” Kanoongo wrote on X, escalating the confrontation.

In his response to Kejriwal, Kanoongo said the commission had been investigating fatal fires involving sleeper-coach buses across the country over the past few years. He said the Central Institute of Road Transport (CIRT), Pune, which he described as a leading institution in setting bus-safety standards, had informed the commission that partitions between drivers and passengers in sleeper buses were dangerous and contrary to safety guidelines.

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“In one such accident, a fire broke out at the back of the bus, and the driver didn’t even realise it had caught fire,” he wrote, explaining the safety concern behind the commission’s intervention.

Kanoongo said the NHRC had been taking action against non-standard buses for the past year and that around 1,000 buses across the country had either been removed from operation or subjected to restrictions following its interventions.

The NHRC member also questioned how the buses were operating in Punjab when, according to him, the state Transport Department had informed the commission in January 2026 that no sleeper-coach buses were registered in the state. “This response is contradictory, so we must find out how these buses are operating,” Kanoongo said, adding that the commission had initiated proceedings because passenger safety could not be compromised.

Senior AAP leader and Punjab in-charge Manish Sisodia too attacked the NHRC, accusing it of selective intervention in human-rights issues. He cited alleged violations involving students and women and questioned why the commission was acting over complaints concerning the buses. “When a person is shot, there is there is silence; when someone feels hot, there is an investigation,” Sisodia said, calling for the body to be renamed the “BJP Rights Commission”.

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The commission’s notice has asked whether the buses meet prescribed safety standards, including requirements relating to emergency exits, fire detection and evacuation. The Chief Secretary has been asked to ensure that any bus found violating mandatory standards is taken off the road until deficiencies are rectified and compliance verified.

The Punjab government’s inspection report is expected to establish whether the allegations are borne out and what action, if any, is required against bus operators or officials.

The scheme provides free pilgrimages for residents above 50 to destinations including Amritsar, Anandpur Sahib, Kiratpur Sahib, Haridwar-Rishikesh, Mathura-Vrindavan and Khatu Shyam. The AAP has said around seven lakh elderly people had benefited by October 14, with the state government bearing the expenses.