Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar challenges CM Mann over ‘state terrorism’ after party leaders detained

Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar reacted strongly to the detention of Fazilka district party president Sukhwinder Singh Kaka Kamboj and Balluana halqa in-charge Vandana Sangwal by the police at Raipura village near Abohar. Jakhar threw an open challenge to Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann over “state terrorism” and said he would visit Raipura tomorrow.

A video message from the state party chief has been circulated across the Abohar and Balluana areas, asking party workers to reach Raipura at 10 am on Friday. Party activists said this will be the first political challenge to the state police and administration. The video message caused a stir and went viral within a few minutes.

Kaka Kamboj and Sangwal were detained by a police team led by a gazetted officer when they reached Raipura to hold a special camp to take the benefits of BJP’s public welfare schemes to the people. MLA Sandeep Jakhar reached the police station within a few minutes of the detention of the party leaders, along with hundreds of his supporters. None of the police officials were present there. He was told that the detained BJP leaders had been taken to an unknown location.

The MLA said that party activists had been detained at the behest of the AAP top brass, who were fed up with the growing popularity of BJP. “This is absolutely wrong, and the government’s hooliganism will not be tolerated,” he said. Sandeep Jakhar said, “We will not be scared by such acts of the government.”

He spoke to SSP Gurmeet Singh but couldn’t get any information about the whereabouts of the detained leaders. He then went to Fazilka with Mayor Vimal Thatai and other activists to meet the SSP and other officials to protest the police action.