Riding jumbo, Sidhu leads BJP protesters in Amritsar; courts arrest with others

As part of BJP's nationwide protest against price hike, hundreds of BJP leaders led by Amritsar MP Navjot Singh held a demonstration against the UPA government today in the holy city. Later, about 50 party leaders and workers, including Sidhu, courted arrest.

As part of BJP's nationwide protest against price hike, hundreds of BJP leaders led by Amritsar MP Navjot Singh held a demonstration against the UPA government on Friday in the holy city. Later, about 50 party leaders and workers, including Sidhu, courted arrest.

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Sidhu, riding an elephant along senior party leader Balbir Punj, led the protest that started from his residence in the city, and went to the deputy commissioner office before courting arrest. Chaos prevailed in the area as BJP leaders trooped to the DC office to protest. Even some windowpanes were broken at the office in the process.

After their arrest Sidhu, Punj and 43 others were sent to Amritsar central jail at about 12:30pm but were released on bail at about 4:30pm.

Addressing mediapersons, Sidhu said, "It is due to the failure of the Congress-led UPA government that there is uproar in the country. The continuous hike in rates of various commodities has exposed the inability of the UPA on the economic front."

A report from Gurdaspur quoted SP (Headquarters) Jaspal Singh as saying that around 250 BJP workers led by district BJP president Rakesh Jyoti, who staged a sit-in outside the DC office, were arrested and lodged in Behrampur police station, 10km from Gurdaspur, at about 1.20pm.

The protesters were let off on the orders of Sub Divisional Magistrate Tejinderpal Singh Sandhu at about 4.00pm.

Punjab BJP treasurer BK Mittal, party municipal councillors and other office-bearers were among those who participated in the protest.