Jalandhar: Sheetal Angural stages protest after fresh poster war with AAP

Aparna Banerji

Jalandhar, June 24

A fresh poster war has erupted between the AAP and BJP again. BJP leader Sheetal Angural today visited the zonal office of B&R (Buildings and Roads) and O&M (Operations and Maintenance) at Basti Sheikh and also held a protest outside the offices, alleging that his posters had been torn by AAP workers and civic body officials at Babrik Chowk in Jalandhar in a targeted manner. Angural, along with his supporters, visited the zonal office of B&R at Basti Sheikh, to lodge a formal complaint and also raised slogans against AAP and “Corporation officials”.

Angural alleged that posters of the BJP at Babrik Chowk in Jalandhar were torn while AAP posters in the same area remained intact. He accused the administrative machinery of specifically targeting his posters. Angural also formally addressed the press about the incident.

Speaking to media, Angural alleged, “I was holding a meeting with workers today when I was called by some workers at Basti Gujan road about BJP banners and posters being torn. These posters were put up with due permission yesterday. We are doing all work with permission. This government’s machinery is at Babrik Chowk and they sent teams to uproot posters and banners of the BJP. My posters were taken off by Corporation teams to please their leaders. This shows that the AAP is flustered. I took up the issue with the MC Commissioner. The BJP will lodge a formal complaint with the ECI on the issue.”

This is not the first feud between the AAP and BJP over election posters. After then Jalandhar MP Sushil Rinku had joined BJP earlier this year in March, he faced fierce protests by AAP workers and his signboards were vandalised and uprooted by irate AAP workers on the 120-feet road, which invited FIRs against five AAP workers.

In April, the BJP complained to the Election Commission against AAP, demanding removal of all flex boards and posters displayed ahead of CM Mann’s roadshow, terming it a violation of model code. Following this, some AAP flex boards at Bhagat Singh Chowk were uprooted late at night, inviting a police complaint by AAP against the BJP.

Rinku quitting the AAP had invited ire and sloganeering against them even during their first roadshow by AAP workers.