Days after the arrest of senior Aam Aadmi Party leader and former Delhi Water Minister Satyendar Jain in a corruption case linked to the Delhi Jal Board, some senior Punjab bureaucrats allegedly close to the AAP leader used paper shredders to destroy key documents. The purported aim was to eliminate potential evidence before Enforcement Directorate teams came knocking on their doors.Warring’s ‘sweet’ challengeA BJP protest outside Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring’s residence in Muktsar took an unexpected turn when Warring offered protesters water and sweets before challenging them to recite “Vande Mataram”, promising to apologise if they did. BJP district president Kuldeep Singh Bhangewala declined, leading to a heated exchange. The protesters eventually left, but Bhangewala hit back, challenging Warring to recite the national song at Guru Gobind Singh Park.Badal bastion in focusAs Punjab heads towards the Assembly elections early next year, Badal village in Muktsar is once again in the political spotlight with the appointment of Manpreet Badal as BJP national senior vice-president. The high-profile assignment adds another feather to a family already dominating Punjab’s political landscape. Sukhbir Badal heads the Shiromani Akali Dal, while his wife Harsimrat Kaur the Lok Sabha member from Bathinda. The family’s political legacy goes back to former CM Parkash Singh Badal, who began his journey as the village sarpanch in 1947.Harsimrat’s ‘toa’ goes viralA video of SAD leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal inspecting the collapsed road at Kitchlu Nagar in Ludhiana has gone viral. Speaking in English, she suddenly switched to Punjabi to point out the “big toa” (pothole) on the road. The phrase has caught social media’s attention, with some praising her for highlighting the civic mess, while others have urged her to look at the state of roads during the SAD government’s tenure.Dera Baba Nanak fearSuch is the alleged influence of jailed gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria in his home turf, Dera Baba Nanak, that no revenue official is willing to be posted there. He is said to have a hand in several land deals, with officials involved in transactions allegedly facing his ire if he does not get his cut. Little wonder then that the administration is finding it difficult to fill postings in the area.A Pathankot father’s cry for helpA distressed father reportedly tied his heroin-addict son and the latter’s friend to a tree before informing the police. The youths were taken to the police station but soon released. The father alleged the cops took money from them, a charge denied by the police. While the allegations and counter-allegations continue, the incident underlines how easily heroin and other drugs appear to be available across the Majha region.Turban politicsHaryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini’s repeated visits to poll-bound Punjab wearing a turban has become a fresh political flashpoint, with the Opposition accusing him of attempting to project a Sikh identity for electoral gains. INLD national president Abhay Singh Chautala called him a “behrupia sardar” (fake Sikh), questioning the propriety of his appearances. In a sarcastic swipe, Chautala remarked, “I fear the Akal Takht may summon him for sporting a turban despite shorn hair and beard, in violation of the Sikh code of conduct.”Documentary debateScheduled ahead of the 2027 Punjab elections, the Discovery Channel documentary, “Satauj to Sansad” on CM Bhagwant Mann has drawn flak from the Opposition. Punjab BJP spokesperson Prof Sarchand Khiala labelled the film a politically motivated image-building exercise. For Mann, the camera is familiar territory, which helped him forge a successful acting career. Ultimately, however, it will be the ballot box that will decide his future.It’s ‘giving tea’In Gen Z slang, ‘giving tea’ means spilling juicy gossip about a dramatic situation. In politics, however, ‘tea’ often refers to behind-the-scenes strategies, shifting alliances and reading the public mood. For decades, Amritsar’s iconic ‘Giani Tea Stall’ on Queens Road has been brewing more than tea — it has served as a hub of political conversations, campaign trails and public discourse. It recently hosted Delhi L-G Taranjit Singh Sandhu and BJP MP Tarun Chugh. Over the years, the stall has welcomed leaders like Navjot Singh Sidhu, Arun Jaitley, Parkash Singh Badal and Capt Amarinder Singh.Kangana finds unlikely allyDespite being one of the most vocal critics of Mandi MP Kangana Ranaut, PWD Minister Vikramaditya Singh has defended her against Baba Ramdev’s remarks questioning her character. In a Facebook post, Vikramaditya termed the comments unfortunate and urged Ramdev to withdraw them and apologise to Kangana. He said political differences should never come at the cost of personal dignity and that public figures must maintain respect in both language and conduct. The gesture is notable given the frequent political sparring between Vikramaditya and Kangana since their bitter contest in the Mandi parliamentary constituency.(Contributed by Rajmeet Singh, Archit Watts, Shivani Bhakoo, Ravi Dhaliwal, GS Paul, Neha Walia and Subhash Rajta)