Punjab Police detain BJP leaders for holding outreach camps to promote Central schemes
The arrested leaders included former minister Perneet Kaur from Patiala, Manpreet Badal from Gidderbaha, former minister Surjit Jiyani from Fazilka, K.D. Bhandari and Sushil Rinku from Jalandhar, district president of Ludhiana (Rural) Sunny Kaith, Jiwan Gupta, Harjot Kamal from Moga, Seema Devi from Gurdaspur and state President of the Scheduled Caste Morcha S.R. Ladhar.
The camps under the BJP's flagship campaign 'BJP de Sewadar Aa Gaye Ne Tuhade Dwaar' have been underway for three months. It aims to spread awareness about the Central government's welfare schemes in rural areas. However, the BJP alleged Thursday's arrests were being made only to deprive people of the benefits of Central government schemes.
Condemning the arrests, Sharma said the Mann government 'is making an attempt to suppress the rights of the people.'
He made it clear that the BJP would in no circumstances stop organising these public welfare camps.
'Our mission is to deliver the benefits of the Central government schemes to the people. The Mann government cannot break our courage with the power of the police.'
Sharma said, 'No matter how many arrests are made, BJP's camps will continue'. He said it 'is the party's duty to make people aware of facilities like Ayushman card, farmer assistance, housing schemes, scholarships, and social security schemes.'
Joining the issue, BJP state president Sunil Jakhar challenged Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, stating that the BJP will once again set up a camp for the benefit of the poor in Raipur village in Fazilka district on Friday, from where the police arrested party leaders.
Earlier in the day, a BJP delegation led by working chief Sharma, including Kewal Singh Dhillon, Rana Gurmeet Singh Sodhi, Subhash Sharma and Anil Sareen, met Governor Gulab Chand Kataria and submitted a memorandum. Sharma said the government is using dictatorial tactics to deprive people of central benefits.
'A government that stops its own people from health cards, scholarships, and farmer assistance is not a government but a murderer of people's dreams,' he said in a statement.
Sharma warned the BJP would go to any extent to protect people's rights.
'If the Mann government does not stop its coercion, the land of Punjab will witness a massive movement, and this government will be seen trembling under public anger,' he added.
Justifying the arrests, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA and former minister Kuldeep Dhaliwal said the BJP 'is deliberately targeting the people of Punjab. Removing such a large number of people from ration cards is a direct attack on the poor, Dalits and underprivileged sections of Punjab. We will not let this be implemented at any cost.'
He told the media that the Central government is making false excuses that cardholders have vehicles, houses and land in their name.
In reality, this is a well-thought-out strategy to harass Punjabis and defame the Punjab government. The BJP wants to snatch food grains from the poor of Punjab and provoke people against the Aam Aadmi Party and the Mann government. But their ploy will not succeed. The people of Punjab know the BJP's intentions very well, he said.
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Hindustan Times
3 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Punjab: Over 500 detained as BJP outreach camp row snowballs
Chandigarh/Jalandhar/Bathinda: The row over Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) outreach programme in Punjab escalated on Thursday, with police detaining nearly 500 saffron party leaders and workers to thwart their plan to hold 'awareness camps' at 39 places in the state. The row over Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) outreach programme in Punjab escalated on Thursday, with police detaining nearly 500 saffron party leaders and workers to thwart their plan to hold 'awareness camps' at 39 places in the state. While the BJP claimed that these camps are being held to ensure that the benefits of the central schemes, including Ayushman Bharat and Kisan Samman Nidhi and others, reach people in the state, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government maintained they have credible reports that certain private operators, allegedly on behalf of the BJP, are illegally collecting personal data of local residents in the name of government schemes. Separately, a delegation of Punjab BJP met Governor Gulab Chand Kataria and sought his intervention over the state government 'forcibly halting' their camps. The BJP also alleged that several party leaders, including former Union minister Preneet Kaur, former MLA KD Bhandari, former MP Sushil Rinku, former MLA Harjot Kamal were detained by police from various such camps in the state on Thursday. Jakhar dares CM to arrest him BJP's state president Sunil Jakhar alleged that the AAP government was not doing anything for the poor and is obstructing people from receiving the benefits of central government schemes. Jakhar said the BJP will once again set up a camp on August 22 at Raipur village in Fazilka district from where police arrested party leaders on Thursday. 'I will be present at the camp and I challenge chief minister Bhagwant Singh Mann and his police to arrest me,' said Jakhar. Addressing the media after meeting the governor, Punjab BJP working president Ashwani Sharma alleged that the AAP government is 'misusing' Punjab Police to stop the awareness camps. ' These camps are part of the party's outreach programme 'BJP De Sewadar, Aa Gaye Tuhade Dwar' to ensure that the poor, the scheduled caste community, farmers, youth and women get the benefits of public welfare schemes of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre,' said Sharma. 'Our workers have just acted as a bridge by telling the poor about the camps and availing the benefits of the central government schemes,' he said. The AAP, however, termed the camps as 'illegal' and inappropriate. 'BJP workers are misleading the people and collecting their data under the pretext of offering benefits. This data is likely to be misused. The exercise must stop immediately,' said AAP leader and former minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal. Perneet, Rinku, Bhandari among those detained The BJP said the police detained its leaders and workers at 28 places in the state. Jalandhar rural police detained ex-minister Bhandari from Shahkot and former MP Rinku from Adampur. Rinku was arrested while he was holding the camp and was live on social media platforms. In Hoshiarpur, BJP leader Nimisha Mehta was detained from Garhshankar and Mukerian MLA Jangi Lal Mahajan and Mukerian district president Ajay Kaushal from Mukerian were also taken into custody but were let off in the evening. BJP workers gathered outside police stations and raised slogans against the government. Senior BJP leader Vijay Sampla termed the police action as 'anti-people' and 'dictatorial'. 'This act of the AAP government has not only deprived the people of Punjab of benefit of welfare schemes, information and guidance, but has also exposed the anti-development mindset of the chief minister Bhagwant Mann-led government,' Sampla alleged. Former Union Minister and senior BJP leader Preneet Kaur alleged that BJP workers and villagers were manhandled by Punjab Police at Masingan, Sanaur, where they were peacefully organising an awareness camp. 'Instead of fighting crime and drugs, the government is misusing police as a political tool to intimidate villagers and BJP workers. This is not governance—it is vendetta politics,' alleged Preneet, adding that BJP camps have been disrupted across Punjab. In Fazilka, party's district president Sukhwinder Singh Kaka Kamboj, and leader Vandana Sangwan were arrested from Raipur village in the Balluana assembly constituency. Several BJP leaders were also detained in south Malwa districts. State general secretary of the BJP Dyal Singh Sodhi said many BJP leaders from Bathinda rural unit were taken to the Sadar police station. Mansa's district president Goma Ram was also prevented from holding a camp, Sodhi added. In Muktsar, BJP state executive member Pritpal Sharma was detained during a camp being organised at Sukhna Ablu village in the Gidderbaha assembly segment. Former finance minister and senior BJP leader Manpeet Badal held a protest in Gidderbaha against detention of BJP leaders. Manpreet rubbished the state government's claims that outreach camps would lead to data breach or compromise the personal details of individuals. 'The BJP will continue to hold such public camps,' he added. Three BJP leaders were detained in Barnala district during a party outreach program in Tapa. A protest was held at the Rureke police station where the leaders were kept. In Batala, BJP leaders and workers were stopped from holding a camp at a village in Fatehgarh Churian town. BJP leader Ravikaran Singh Kahlon was to address the camp but he was not allowed to do so. 'We are not indulging in any illegal activity, why are the cops not allowing us to organise the camp,' he said. The police said BJP leaders had not taken permission to hold the camp. BJP cries 'deliberate harassment' In a memorandum submitted to the governor, the BJP delegation alleged that there was 'deliberate harassment' being inflicted upon the party workers, volunteers, and the innocent inhabitants of several villages across Punjab, where awareness camps have been initiated to spread vital information about the central government welfare schemes. 'I want to ask Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann to fight a political battle. Why are you getting scared of the BJP?' Don't you want the poor to get benefits of the central schemes,' Ashwani Sharma said. Responding to some allegations, he asserted that there was no question of any data theft in these camps. 'In almost every camp, the state police and local administration have intervened to stop BJP workers and volunteers from providing information. This disruption is being justified on two pretexts--that prior permission from the deputy commissioner/SDM is required, and that parties are allegedly collecting personal data of the inhabitants,' it said. 'No such permission is mandated under any law for awareness programmes of this nature, and the allegation regarding data collection is false, baseless, and politically motivated. Further the volunteers and workers engaged in these camps hold valid Common Service Centre (CSC) IDs. Hence, there is no illegality in the conduct of such programmes,' it said. The allegation regarding data collection is false, baseless, and politically motivated, it said. The BJP delegation urged the governor to direct the Punjab government to immediately desist from 'harassing' BJP workers, volunteers, and local inhabitants who are voluntarily participating in these awareness programmes. Saffron party's true face exposed: AAP Lashing out at the BJP, AAP spokesperson Neel Garg said these camps have 'exposed the true face of the saffron party.' It is the state government's responsibility, not of any political party, to implement the central government's schemes. All such welfare schemes are already being implemented effectively in Punjab,' Garg said. He warned people against sharing their personal information with anyone, citing the risk of fraud, and stated that the AAP does not prevent anyone from conducting their party activities. However, he firmly asserted that no one will be allowed to collect private data from the public illegally. Garg added that numerous complaints had been received regarding such unauthorised data collection, and the BJP had not organised these camps in areas governed by their own party. He described the BJP's protest as mere political theatrics aimed at creating a false narrative. Pure gimmick: Warring on outreach camps Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring dubbed the BJP's outreach programme as pure political gimmick. 'The Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab was helping the BJP with the 'oxygen of publicity' with a so called police 'crackdown'. Otherwise, nobody would even have noticed the BJP's outreach programme,' he claimed. 'The AAP and BJP have a symbiotic relationship. The AAP is trying to support and strengthen the BJP in the hope that it can challenge the Congress', he alleged, adding that both parties stand exposed before the people of Punjab. With inputs from HTC Patiala, Sangrur, Amritsar
Indian Express
36 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Punjab BJP working president dares CM Mann: ‘why getting scared…fight us politically'
Punjab BJP leader Ashwani Sharma Thursday dared Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to fight the saffron party politically instaed of 'getting scared' and 'forcibly halting' party's awareness camps for central schemes. 'I want to ask Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann to fight a political battle. Why are you getting scared of the BJP?' Don't you want the poor to get benefits of the central schemes,' Sharma, the Punjab BJP working president said. Sharma was addressing media after leading a party delegation that met Governor Gulab Chand Kataria seeking his intervention over Punjab Police detaining its leaders and workers at 39 places in state where they were conducting outreach programme 'BJP De Sewadar, Aa Gaye Tuhade Dwar' to 'ensure that the poor, the scheduled caste community, farmers, youth and women get the benefits of public welfare schemes of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre'. The BJP also alleged that several party leaders were detained. They include Sunny Kainth, president of BJP Rural (Ludhiana) from his Flower Enclave office; former Jalandhar MP Sushil Kumar Rinku from Adampur; senior BJP leader K D Bhandari from Shahkot in Jalandhar; Pathankot district BJP president Suresh Kumar; and Preetpal Sharma from Gidderbaha, who switched from the AAP to the BJP in November last year. BJP leader Vandana Sangwan and Fazilka district president Kaka Kamboj were detained from the Raipur village in Fazilka during a camp in the morning. Sharma said his party will burn effigies of the AAP government in each Vidhan Sabha constituency on Friday. Earlier, in the memorandum submitted to the Governor, the delegation alleged that there was 'deliberate harassment' being inflicted upon the party workers, volunteers, and the innocent inhabitants of several villages across Punjab, where awareness camps have been initiated to spread vital information about the central government welfare schemes. 'Our party workers and volunteers, with the consent and active participation of the local residents, have been conducting these awareness camps in different villages,' said the memorandum. The delegation accused the Punjab government 'of creating obstacles in this noble cause'. 'In almost every camp, the state police and local administration have intervened to stop BJP workers and volunteers from providing information. This disruption is being justified on two pretexts–that prior permission from the Deputy Commissioner/SDM is required, and that parties are allegedly collecting personal data of the inhabitants,' it said. No such permission is mandated under any law for awareness programmes of this nature, and the allegation regarding data collection is false, baseless, and politically motivated. Further the volunteers and workers engaged in these camps hold valid Common Service Centre (CSC) IDs. Hence, there is no illegality in the conduct of such programmes,' it said. The allegation regarding data collection is false, baseless, and politically motivated, it said. The BJP delegation urged the Governor to direct the Punjab government to immediately desist from 'harassing' BJP workers, volunteers, and local inhabitants who are voluntarily participating in these awareness programmes. Later, Sharma said the BJP workers just acted as a bridge by telling the poor about the camps. He claimed that so far 1.57 lakh people have availed the benefits of these camps which began in May.
Indian Express
36 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Behind AAP govt's ‘extreme step', internal feedback on BJP making inroads in villages
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