Punjab cops crack down on BJP campaign, detain leaders

The Punjab Police on Thursday halted BJP’s awareness camps at 39 locations under its outreach programme “BJP De Sewadar, Aa Gaye Tuhade Dwar” and detained 125 party leaders and workers. The BJP said it would continue the initiative despite the government crackdown.

The confrontation is expected to intensify on Friday, with state BJP president Sunil Jakhar and working president Ashwani Sharma challenging Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to arrest them as they plan to personally oversee the camps.

Programme aims to link rural communities with Central welfare schemes

The BJP’s outreach programme in Punjab aims to link rural communities with Central welfare schemes. At village-level camps, party workers guide residents on accessing benefits under initiatives such as Ayushman Bharat, PM-Kisan and PM Awas Yojana. They help with documentation, explain eligibility norms and direct people to Common Service Centres for formal enrolment.

In a video message, Jakhar said he would set up a camp in Raipura village, Fazilka, on August 22 at the same spot where the police had earlier detained BJP leaders. “I dare Mann to come and arrest me,” he said.

Earlier, a BJP delegation submitted a memorandum to Governor Gulab Chand Kataria, seeking his intervention against what it termed “undemocratic” police action at the behest of the AAP-led government. Sharma claimed district presidents and senior leaders were detained in all districts, while camp material, including laptops, was seized at several locations.

Among those detained were former ministers Preneet Kaur (Patiala), Manpreet Badal (Gidderbaha), Surjit Jiyani (Fazilka), KD Bhandari and Sushil Rinku (Jalandhar), Ludhiana Rural district president Sunny Kainth, Jiwan Gupta, Harjot Kamal (Moga), Seema Devi (Gurdaspur), SC Morcha state president SR Ladhar and several other leaders and workers.

Speaking after meeting the Governor, Sharma accused the AAP government of blocking welfare schemes initiated by the Centre. “When BJP reaches out to the poor, unemployed, farmers, Dalits, women and youth with Modi’s welfare initiatives, the Mann government responds by arresting our workers,” he said.

Sharma announced that the BJP would hold public welfare camps across Punjab on August 24.

Responding to the charges, AAP spokesperson Neel Garg said all information on Central and state schemes is available at suvidha centres. “No political party is being stopped from lawful activity. The BJP is only playing politics because it is unhappy with the corruption-free governance provided by AAP. No one has the right to collect personal data from the public, which could be misused for financial fraud,” he said. (with inputs by Tribune reporters in Punjab)