Protest over 'sacrilege' by Amritsar AAP MLA

Tension brewed here on Monday as members of the Yuva Vikas Morcha, led by its president Anu Sahota, vice-president Ashwini Sahota, and Karamjeet Singh Bittu, district general secretary of the Congress (Phagwara), held a protest outside the office of the Superintendent of Police. The protest was sparked by the outrage over an alleged act of sacrilege involving the removal of a photo/banner of Bhagwan Valmiki from the outer wall of the Bhagwan Valmiki Tirath in Amritsar.

According to protesting leaders, the removed image was replaced with a political flex/banner of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) by Dr Jasbir Singh Sandhu, AAP MLA from Amritsar West. Terming the act an insult, the morcha activists demanded immediate action against the MLA.

Carrying out a protest march from the SP office to the Rest House, the demonstrators raised slogans, condemning the state government. The protesters later burned an effigy of the government, symbolising their anger.

A memorandum was submitted to the SHO Usha Rani, demanding the registration of an FIR against the legislator. The leaders of the Morcha alleged that the act had hurt the sentiments of the Valmiki community and accused the administration of inaction.

Issuing a warning, the leaders declared that if an FIR is not lodged by July 23, they would intensify their protest by blocking Savidhan Chowk in Phagwara.