AAP workers protest; saffron party seeks action

Tribune News Service

Aparna Banerji

Jalandhar, March 27

While the shifting of the AAP’s only Lok Sabha MP in the state and the sitting MLA of Jalandhar West constituency to the BJP has dealt a blow to the AAP and caused a turmoil in the politics of Jalandhar (and state) ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, the aftermath of the two joining was no less dramatic today. Rinku and Angural’s joining triggered a war of sorts between the BJP and AAP with the AAP holding a protest in Jalandhar against the duo calling them traitors and uprooting their boards. The BJP, in turn, wrote to the ECI and the Commissioner of Police, Jalandhar, first asking them to prevent AAP leaders from protesting and then seeking action against AAP leaders for violation of Model Code of Conduct.

Hours after Jalandhar MP Sushil Rinku and Jalandhar West MLA Sheetal Angural’s joining the BJP, AAP leaders of the district including cabinet minister Balkar Singh, MLAs Raman Arora and Inderjit Kaur, AAP leader Rajwinder Kaur Thiara, district urban president Amritpal Singh, among other activists, took to the streets to protest against the two leaders joining the BJP. Holding placards terming Rinku and Angural as ‘Gaddar’ (traitors), AAP workers protested at the Babu Jagjiwan Ram Chowk (in the Jalandhar West constituency) and burnt effigies of the two former AAP leaders.

Speaking on the occasion, AAP cabinet minister Balkar Singh said the party honoured the duo by promoting them to prestigious positions. Those who couldn’t even become a councillor were honoured with the post of an MLA (the minister said in a dig at Angural). The Local Bodies Minister said their betrayal will not be forgotten by the people.

AAP workers dabbed the boards bearing the names of Rinku and Angural near their respective residences with red ink and then uprooted the boards. Videos of the same also went viral and were later shared by the BJP leaders seeking action against AAP leaders.

In a complaint sent to the Chief Election Officer, Punjab, the Jalandhar Deputy Commissioner and the Commissioner of Police, Jalandhar, BJP urban general secretaries Ashok Sareen Hicky, Rajesh Kapoor and Amarjit Singh Goldy sought action against the AAP leaders for alleged poll code violation by blocking roads, breaking boards and inconveniencing people.

They appealed to the ECI, CP and DC to act against AAP minister Balkar Singh, MLA Raman Arora, leader Rajwinder Kaur Thiara and district urban president Amritpal Singh for allegedly holding up the road traffic from the Babu Jagjivan Ram Chowk to the 120 Feet Road drain side, burning their effigies and marching to the homes of MP and MLAs in violation of the Model Code of Conduct. They also called for action against the breaking of the board of MP Sushil Rinku. Their complaint alleged that the breaking of boards and blocking of roads was done in the presence of the AAP minister, MLA, and aforesaid leaders. Hence, requisite action should be taken against them.

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