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Ludhiana: BJP protest enters third day as leaders demand mayor’s apology
BJP councillors' protest at the MC Zone D office enters day three, demanding an apology from the mayor amid an FIR against five councillors.
The ongoing protest by BJP councillors and leaders at the municipal corporation (MC) Zone D office entered its third consecutive day on Sunday. Despite an FIR being registered against five councillors and around 20 unidentified persons, BJP leaders remained firm on their demand for an apology from mayor Inderjit Kaur.
The protest began after a heated exchange between the councillors and the mayor over civic issues. BJP leaders said they were ready to face any consequences and accused the mayor of ignoring the concerns of elected representatives. “We are fighting for our voters and we won’t step back,” they said.
Efforts were made by the administration to end the standoff. Senior MC officials, police officers, and even deputy commissioner (DC) Himanshu held a closed-door meeting with BJP leaders at the Zone D office. The leaders were urged to hold a dialogue with the mayor, but the talks failed to yield any breakthrough.
BJP state general secretary Anil Sarin said, “The protest will continue until the mayor listens to the councillors and resolves the pending issues. Registering an FIR only shows that she is not serious about finding a solution.”
Councillors alleged that despite repeated requests, even basic services like fogging in their wards are being ignored. “We are forced to remind officials repeatedly, yet no action is taken,” a councillor said.
Meanwhile, Congress councillor Gaurav Bhatti criticised the FIR, saying, “In the past too, councillors protested against mayors, but such extreme steps were never taken. This shows the poor handling of the situation by the ruling party.”
Those named in the FIR include Ward 80 councillor Gauravjit Singh Gora, Ward 76 councillor Mukesh Khatri, Kulwant Singh Kanti (husband of Ward 33 councillor Kuldeep Kaur), Vishal Gulati (husband of Ward 73 councillor Ruchi Gulati), and Jatinder Goryan (husband of Ward 17 councillor Ruby). Division Number 5 police registered the case based on a complaint filed by ASI Sudagar Singh, who is part of the mayor’s security detail.
According to the officials, the incident occurred around 11 PM when a group of BJP leaders arrived at the MC office for a meeting with the Mayor. He stated that the Mayor noticed not all those present were elected councillors, but still agreed to hear their concerns. However, the situation escalated when Kulwant Singh, Vishal Gulati, and Jatinder Goryan allegedly began misbehaving and threatening the Mayor. When she attempted to leave the room, they reportedly prevented her from exiting.
The FIR further alleges that Gauravjit Singh Gora and Mukesh Khatri became aggressive and tried to assault the Mayor. When the ASI intervened, the accused allegedly pushed him and attempted to tear his uniform. The group reportedly left the premises after hurling abuses.
The police have invoked Sections 221 (obstruction of a public servant), 132 (use of criminal force against a public servant), 126 (wrongful restraint), and 351(2) (criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against the accused. Investigation is underway.
