Hours after clashes erupted between workers of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during a protest in Ludhiana on Sunday, BJP leaders accused the police of acting in favour of the ruling party. At the same time, AAP accused the central government of using central agencies to destabilise the ruling party in Punjab.
The clash broke out during protests organised by AAP workers against the arrest of cabinet minister Sanjeev Arora, while BJP workers staged a counter protest outside the party office. Both sides accused each other of provoking the confrontation.
The BJP said that the police should have stopped the AAP workers heading towards them. Punjab BJP general secretary Anil Sareen announced that the BJP would stage a protest outside the Ludhiana police commissioner’s office on Monday. He said BJP workers would symbolically lock the main gate of the police commissioner office.
Addressing a press conference, BJP district president Rajnish Dhiman alleged that AAP workers attacked BJP activists during the protest. He also raised questions over the role of the Ludhiana administration and the prevailing law and order situation in the city.
Terming AAP’s allegations as baseless, Dhiman said the Enforcement Directorate had arrested cabinet minister Sanjeev Arora only after finding substance in the allegations against him. “The AAP government is trying to divert public attention from failed governance, deteriorating law and order and corruption by targeting the BJP,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Terming AAP’s allegations as baseless, Dhiman said the Enforcement Directorate had arrested cabinet minister Sanjeev Arora only after finding substance in the allegations against him. “The AAP government is trying to divert public attention from failed governance, deteriorating law and order and corruption by targeting the BJP,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Demanding a fair and impartial probe, Dhiman sought strict action against those responsible for the violence.
Meanwhile, AAP district president Jatinder Singh Khangura accused the BJP of repeatedly using central agencies to destabilise the ruling party in Punjab. He claimed that cabinet minister Sanjeev Arora’s residence and offices had been raided three times within a year and alleged that Arora was pressured to join the BJP.
Khangura alleged that the action was initiated against Arora after he refused to join the BJP.
He added that the AAP had planned protests across Punjab against the alleged harassment and that the Ludhiana demonstration was part of the statewide agitation.
Calls made to police commissioner Swapan Sharma for comments went unanswered.