AAP on Sunday launched anti-BJP protests across Punjab over the action taken by the ED against state minister Sanjeev Arora, accusing the Center of misusing investigative agencies against its leaders.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders and workers staged demonstrations and stormed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) offices in the district headquarters across Punjab, raising slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP government.
The AAP protests came a day after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Arora in connection with an alleged incident $157 crore money laundering case involving certain entities associated with it.
The Punjab Electricity Minister was arrested from his official residence in Sector 2, Chandigarh, on Saturday after fresh raids at his residence and the offices of Hampton Sky Realty Limited, a company run by the family of the businessman-turned-politician.
On Sunday, protests were held in various districts, including Amritsar, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, Ludhiana, Bathinda, Ferozepur, Hoshiarpur, Patiala and Mohali, with AAP leaders accusing the BJP of using investigative agencies like Enforcement Directorate (ED), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Income Tax Department as “political weapons” to intimidate elected governments and silence opposition voices.
The demonstrators raised banners and slogans against the Modi government and accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of trying to crush every political force that refuses to submit to it.
Also Read: AAP hits streets across Punjab over ED moves in Arora
In Patiala, Minister Balbir Singh led the protest march and harshly criticized the BJP for engaging in a “politics of fear and intimidation”.
Addressing the protesters, Dr Singh said: “BJP’s policy is about threats, raids and coercion. They first pressured Rajya Sabha MPs in Punjab and later targeted government ministers when AAP refused to surrender before the Centre. They thought Punjab can be intimidated through ED, CBI and income tax raids. But Punjabis have a history of standing against oppression and will give a befitting reply to the BJP.”
Dr Singh also said: “Why did the raids against Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Mittal stop after he joined the BJP? This exposes the true face of the BJP. The agencies are only active against those who oppose them politically. The moment someone joins the BJP, all investigations disappear.”
AAP and BJP workers clash in Ludhiana
In Ludhiana, a scuffle broke out between AAP and BJP workers during a protest outside the saffron party’s district office near the grain market on Gill Road.
AAP workers were protesting against Arora’s arrest near the BJP office when the saffron party workers reached the spot and staged a counter-protest. The situation escalated into a heated argument and brawl between supporters of both parties.
Also Read: Ludhiana: AAP misuses police, will hold protest today, says BJP
BJP Punjab general secretary Anil Sareen alleged that AAP workers attacked opposition party activists, leading to four of them being injured.
Tensions in Bathinda also rose after AAP activists led by party legislators Balkar Sidhu (Rampura Phule) and Sukhveer Singh Maisarkhana (More) arrived outside the BJP headquarters. The police intervened and prevented a clash between supporters of the two parties.
AAP workers, along with Fazilka MLA Narinder Pal Sawna, Jalalabad MLA Jagdeep Goldy Kamboj, Abohar constituency in-charge Arun Narang and AAP district president Upkar Singh Jakhar, also protested outside Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar’s residence in Subhash Nagar, Abohar.
In Amritsar, AAP held a demonstration outside the residence of BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh, where they breached the barricade in protest.
A confrontation between an AAP MLA and BJP activists in Balasur
In Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar area of Balachur, AAP workers led by Banga MLA Dr Sukhwinder Kumar Sukhi came face to face with BJP workers during a protest. The police had to intervene to calm the situation. In a video circulating online, the MLA can be seen snatching the mobile phone of BJP district president Rajinder Singh, who was sitting in his office.
Also Read: AAP holds protests, defaces walls of Revolutionary Socialists members in Jalandhar, Ludhiana
MLA Sukhi said that the AAP workers were staging a symbolic protest outside the BJP district office in Balashore when the BJP workers reached the spot and started creating disturbance.
“We objected to the microphone brought by the BJP workers as it was disrupting our protest. Then, the BJP workers got angry and started making insulting remarks. We went to the president’s office to talk to him, but instead of speaking, he started shooting a video on his phone, which I objected to,” he said.
On the other hand, BJP district president Rajwinder Singh said that it was AAP workers, led by MLA Sukhi, who started using abusive language outside his office. He added: “We only responded to their verbal statements and asked them to move their protest elsewhere.”
He alleged that the AAP workers tried to physically assault him while he was inside the office. “AAP workers were behaving like fools,” he alleged.
Era of ‘misrule’ coming to an end: Jakhar
Launching a scathing attack on the AAP government, Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar said the era of “mismanagement” in the state is coming to an end.
Speaking to ANI, Jakhar emphasized that the current era was defined by “Sabka saath, sabka vikas aur sabka hisab (Support for all, development and accountability).”
He predicted a looming “day of reckoning” for those involved in financial irregularities.
Jacquard warned that accountability was inevitable, saying: “Either the CEO or the people will ensure that… everyone will be held accountable within six months.”
BJP Punjab working president Ashwani Sharma criticized the “unruly” behavior of AAP workers and accused the state police of acting under political pressure while facilitating “rioting” against party workers.
Speaking to reporters in Chandigarh, Sharma warned that the BJP will not tolerate political intimidation or misuse of police agencies to divert public attention from corruption allegations against the ruling party leaders.
Union Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Bittu demanded police action against party leaders and workers. “I will take up the matter with the BJP high command if no action is taken against MLAs and AAP workers for misconduct with BJP cadres across the state,” Bittu said.
