Ludhiana: BJP’s protest ends after ‘secret’ midnight meet

The breakthrough came after municipal commissioner Aaditya Dachalwal invited BJP councillors for a meeting on Wednesday night

A six-day protest by BJP councillors at the MC Zone D office in Ludhiana came to an unexpected and quiet conclusion just after midnight on Wednesday. The protest, which began on August 1 over alleged administrative neglect and political interference, ended following a series of closed-door meetings between civic officials, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders, and BJP leadership. The secretive nature of the settlement has since raised more questions than it answered.

The BJP leadership reportedly agreed to move past their differences in view of the development needs of their wards. (HT Photo)

The breakthrough came after municipal commissioner Aaditya Dachalwal invited BJP councillors for a meeting on Wednesday night. He began by apologising for not being available when the issue first erupted and assured the councillors that their demands would be addressed. The councillors raised multiple concerns including misuse of fogging machines by defeated AAP candidates, poor attendance of sanitation workers, and lack of regular house meetings to discuss ward-level development.

Later in the night, another key meeting took place at Sutton House, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), attended by Mayor Inderjit Kaur, BJP councillors, and AAP MLAs Madan Lal Bagga and Daljit Singh Grewal. Sources revealed that the councillors were advised to stay calm, and the Mayor urged all members to work together “as a family” for the city’s betterment. The BJP leadership reportedly agreed to move past their differences in view of the development needs of their wards.

Around 12.30 am, BJP councillor Poonam Ratra and mayor Inderjit Kaur issued a joint video statement, saying the “misunderstandings” had been resolved and both parties would now focus on city development. Ratra said, “We will work positively for our wards now,” while the Mayor added, “I always supported development, and will continue to do so.”

However, the hush-hush manner in which the protest ended left the public and even some councillors confused.

Congress councillor Gaurav Bhatti, who had supported the protest, questioned the secrecy of the late-night settlement. In a social media post, he demanded clarity on whether the Mayor admitted her mistake in filing FIRs against five councillors or if the BJP leadership backed down without any accountability.