AAP Stages Protest Outside BJP MP's Residence
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) held a demonstration in Amritsar on Saturday, alleging that the Shiromani Akali Dal and the Bharatiya Janata Party colluded to malign the image of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann. Party leaders and workers, led by Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO and Amritsar Central MLA Dr Ajay Gupta, gathered outside the residence of BJP MP Tarun Chugh.
The protesters claimed that a fabricated video involving CM Mann was being circulated to mislead the public. They accused the BJP of attempting to disturb Punjab's atmosphere through religion-based and hate politics. The protest coincided with senior Punjab BJP leadership assembling in Amritsar to receive BJP national president Nitin Nabin, who was on a three-day visit to the state.
Allegations of Divisive Politics
MLA Ajay Gupta stated that the BJP was trying to divide people on religious lines but asserted that Punjabis would not allow such politics to succeed. “The traditional parties, including the BJP and SAD, fear CM Bhagwant Mann. They fear the development works done by him. As they do not have anything against him, they are running this malicious campaign against him,” he said.
AAP's Jatinderpal Singh Moti Bhatia, Mayor of Amritsar, added, “CM Bhagwant Mann is Punjab’s son, people love him and want him as their leader. Sukhbir Singh Badal, who says that he will lead Dharam Yudh Morcha, first needs to find the truth behind 328 missing saroops of Guru Granth Sahib.”
Demand for Strict Action
AAP leaders and workers demanded strict action against those allegedly involved in creating and spreading the fake video. The demonstration was directed against the BJP, with party leaders accusing the saffron party of trying to create political unrest in the state.
Effigy Burning in Tarn Taran
In a parallel protest, the AAP district unit in Tarn Taran held a demonstration against Shiromani Akali Dal leaders for attempting to defame CM Mann based on a video that two forensic laboratories declared fabricated. Led by district chief Gurvinder Singh Beharwal, the protest included Khemkaran MLA Sarwan Singh Dhunn, Khadoor Sahib MLA Manjinder Singh Lalpura, and Surinder Kaur Bhullar, wife of Patti MLA Laljit Singh Bhullar.
Addressing party workers, Lalpura slammed SAD for using the Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs, to settle political scores and hatching a conspiracy to defame CM Mann. He emphasized that CM had never done anything against the religion.
