Punjab Police Debunks 'No Uniform' Advisory After Opposition Backlash

Punjab Police on Tuesday denied reports of an "advisory" to its personnel on personal security measures, including avoiding wearing uniform when returning from duty.

Punjab opposition leaders, including Congress state chief Amarinder Raja Warring and Akali Dal general secretary Bikram Majithia, had posted an "advisory" issued by the Inspector General of Police, Border Range, Amritsar, to the SSPs of Amritsar Rural, Batala, Gurdaspur and Pathankot.

It triggered a political storm in Punjab, with the opposition citing the instructions as evidence of growing security concerns facing police personnel and attacking the Bhagwant Mann government over law and order.

The Punjab Police, however, denied the existence of any such advisory.

⚠️ FACT CHECK | FALSE ADVISORY

Punjab Police Headquarters or any other Punjab Police office under it has issued no advisory directing police personnel to:

• Avoid wearing uniform while going to or returning from duty

• Wear civilian clothes while commuting to/from duty

Such…

— Punjab Police India (@PunjabPoliceInd) September 22, 2026

According to the advisory posted on X by Warring and Majithia, police personnel have been told not to unnecessarily move around in uniform while travelling to or from duty points. They have also been advised to take precautions before entering markets, residential areas and other places, while ensuring that their identity and movement do not become predictable during travel by private vehicles, buses, trains or police vehicles.

The order, dated September 18, further asked personnel, as far as possible, not to travel alone and instead follow the Buddy Pair System. Officers and control points are to be informed about a personnel's departure and safe arrival. At nakas and checking points, the "order" called for 360-degree security coverage, dispersal of personnel instead of congregating at one location and deployment of an armed and vigilant sentry at a secure position.

Debunking what it called "fake news", Punjab Police posted on its official handle that no such advisory has been issued.

"Punjab Police Headquarters or any other Punjab Police office under it has issued no advisory directing police personnel to avoid wearing uniform while going to or returning from duty, or wear civilian clothes while commuting to/from duty," Punjab Police posted on its X handle.

"Such messages circulating on social media are fake and should be ignored. Citizens and police personnel are advised to rely only on official channels for authentic information," it added.

The "directive" posted by the opposition leaders also stressed heightened caution while checking unidentified persons and vehicles, keeping weapons and security equipment ready for use and avoiding unnecessary mobile phone use, personal conversations and other forms of negligence while on duty.

Police personnel have additionally been asked to avoid following predictable patterns of movement, including the same group, timing and mode of transport. Routes should not be fixed in a manner that allows unauthorised persons to anticipate police movements in advance.

The detailed security instructions in the purported advisory became a political flashpoint, with the Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia questioning the law and order situation under Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.

👉 Badlaav.....this is the situation in Punjab.

👉 Punjab Police, once known for eliminating terrorism and maintaining law and order, has allegedly been rendered helpless under “Guru Dokhi” Bhagwant Mann's leadership.

👉 Officers have reportedly been asked to wear uniforms… pic.twitter.com/pNqmCHlhTI

— Bikram Singh Majithia (@bsmajithia) September 22, 2026

Majithia questioned the law-and-order situation, alleging that the Punjab Police has been rendered helpless under Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. He referred to viral audio recordings purportedly suggesting police helplessness in the face of gangsters and demanded that the police clarify whether the situation has deteriorated to such an extent.

He also alleged that fear prevails among Punjabis and said that if the Chief Minister cannot handle Punjab, he should resign.

Reacting to the police denial, Majithia demanded an independent forensic analysis of the "advisory".

रोम जल रहा था और नीरो बाँसुरी बजा रहा था…

पंजाब जल रहा है और भगवंत मान मंचों पर चुटकुले सुना रहा हैं। pic.twitter.com/4zN5FV3vvf

— Amarinder Singh Raja Warring (@RajaBrar_INC) September 22, 2026

Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring also targeted the Mann government, saying, "Rome was burning and Nero was playing the flute." Warring alleged that while Punjab was facing serious problems, Bhagwant Mann was busy telling jokes on public platforms.