Punjab’s Mukh Mantri Tirath Yatra scheme has become the subject of a political and safety dispute after the National Human Rights Commission inspected buses used to transport pilgrims, with AAP alleging that the checks were intended to stop the programme and the commission citing complaints about possible safety violations.
The Aam Aadmi Party said the NHRC had inspected “super deluxe buses” carrying pilgrims under the state government’s scheme. AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal alleged that the move targeted a programme for senior citizens and questioned why similar inspections had not been conducted on buses operated by other state roadways.
“The NHRC, the country’s highest human rights body, has inspected buses for the first time in its history,” Kejriwal said in a post on X, referring to the inspections. He also questioned the presence of partitions between the driver’s cabin and the passenger compartment and asked whether buses operated by Uttar Pradesh Roadways or other states had undergone comparable checks.
The NHRC’s account, as reported by the Times News Network, centred on a complaint received by the commission. NHRC member Priyank Kanoongo said the complaint alleged that buses used under the pilgrimage scheme did not meet required safety standards. It raised concerns about unauthorised structural modifications and partitions between the driver’s cabin and the passenger section.
The available report does not state that the NHRC has ordered the scheme to be stopped or that it has issued a final finding against the buses. The immediate dispute therefore concerns the purpose and implications of the inspection, rather than a confirmed decision to terminate the programme. The safety concerns cited by the commission relate to the design and modification of vehicles carrying passengers on organised pilgrimages.
AAP said the state government had facilitated pilgrimages for around seven lakh elderly people up to October 14. According to a spokesperson, approximately 5.5 lakh pilgrims visited Amritsar, the Wagah Border, Ram Tirath and Durgiana Temple. Another one lakh visited Sri Anandpur Sahib, while 15,000 each travelled to Mathura, Khatu Shyam and Haridwar-Rishikesh.
Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema accused central agencies of attempting to obstruct the AAP government’s welfare initiatives. He linked the dispute to wider political disagreements over public schemes, including the Mawan Dheeyan Satkar Yojana and free bus services. These allegations were made by the AAP and were not independently established in the report.
The controversy highlights the operational responsibility involved when governments provide subsidised or free group transport for elderly passengers. While the scheme’s scale has made it a significant state-supported mobility programme for pilgrims, the inspection has brought vehicle configuration and passenger safety requirements into the public debate. The next step will depend on the NHRC’s handling of the complaint and any response from the Punjab government or the operators of the buses.
