Protest against AAP’s ‘Op Lotus’ charge: Punjab BJP leaders detained in Chandigarh

Chandigarh Police use water cannons to prevent Punjab BJP workers from heading to gherao chief minister Bhagwant Mann’s residence

Chandigarh Police detained senior Punjab BJP leaders, including state unit chief Ashwani Sharma and Sunil Jakhar, to prevent them from heading to gherao chief minister Bhagwant Mann’s official residence in the state capital on Thursday afternoon.

Punjab BJP leaders protesting against the chief minister Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party government, at the party head office in Sector 37, Chandigarh, before they were detained on Thursday. (Keshav Singh/HT)

Water cannons were used on BJP workers when they tried to cross the barricades put up by the police outside the party headquarters in Sector 37.

The workers had gathered on the state leadership’s call for a protest outside Mann’s residence against the Aam Aadmi Party’s allegation that the BJP was trying to topple the AAP government.

A delegation of the Punjab BJP had met governor Banwari Lal Purohit last week and sought a probe by a sitting high court judge into the Aam Aadmi Party’s allegation that it was indulging in horse-trading under what the AAP terms “Operation Lotus”. The delegation, led by Sharma, termed the accusations of AAP national convener and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal “totally baseless and a political mischief to cover their own failures”.

Punjab BJP workers facing water cannons when they tried crossing barricades en route to chief minister Bhagwant Mann’s residence in Chandigarh on Thursday. (Keshav Singh/HT)

The BJP leaders demanded evidence for the allegations and said Mann’s convening a special assembly session for a confidence motion on Thursday was a political drama. Addressing the gathering, Sharma said: “The BJP won’t allow the AAP government to carry out a drama in the name of ‘Operation Lotus’.”

Jakhar said the assembly is meant for serious discussions and not to carry out a “political nautanki”.

The daughter of former chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh, who joined the BJP on Monday, Jai Inder Kaur also addressed the dharna.

After Punjab objected to the special assembly session, Mann met his cabinet colleagues and came up with September 27 as the new date for the special session during which other issues, including paddy stubble burning, will be discussed.