SAD men, blue-card holders burn Mann’s effigy in Muktsar

The blue-card holders of Model Town raised slogans against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Bhagwant Mann during a protest on the Kotkapura road here on Thursday.

The blue-card holders of Model Town raised slogans against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Bhagwant Mann during a protest on the Kotkapura road here on Thursday.

People burning effigy of AAP MP Bhagwant Mann in Muktsar on Thursday. (HT Photo)

With a view to projecting that it was the spontaneous ire of blue-card holders (beneficiaries of the atta-dal scheme), the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) organised a protest against Mann, burning his effigy, against his controversial remarks on card holders.

The protesters said that Mann had insulted the blue-card holders by ‘comparing’ them to ‘beggars’ and he should apologise to them. The protesters said that they would not let AAP leaders into Model Town.

Read: ‘We don’t need media’: Journos chased out of AAP’s Punjab rally as Mann loses it

Though the protest was projected as if it was a sudden reaction from the blue-card holders, the SAD’s hand in organising the protest was evident from the fact that the office of SAD leader Kanwarjeet Singh ‘Rozy Barkandi’ sent out an e-mail about the agitation.

“Though there were two-three Akali workers at the protest, it was a spontaneous demonstration by the blue-card holders. Protesters requested us to communicate with the media, so we did it,” said Ravi Kumar who sent the e-mail on behalf of Barkandi ‘s office. Barkandi could not be contacted despite several attempts.

Read: Many bushfires erupt in AAP after Chhotepur sacking