Ludhiana West bypoll: Arora faces criticism for forgetting name of freedom fighter
As campaigning continues for the Ludhiana West byelection that to be held on June 19, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate and Rajya Sabha member Sanjeev Arora is facing strong criticism from opposition parties for not remembering the full name of freedom fighter Kartar Singh Sarabha during a public speech.
The incident happened on Saturday during an AAP public meeting held in Sarabha Nagar, a prominent area in Ludhiana named after Ghadar movement hero Kartar Singh Sarabha. Shopkeepers in the area have long demanded that the local market should be renamed in his honour.
During an event, in which chief minister Bhagwant Mann was also present, MP Arora in his speech referred to the revolutionary as 'Shaheed Sarabha Singh', forgetting his full name — Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha — who was executed by the British at just 19 and admired by Bhagat Singh.
A video of the speech has gone viral, showing MP Arora struggling to recall the name and being corrected by others on stage. MP Arora then said, 'I am sure CM saab will announce it soon and Sarabha's statue has already been ordered. It will be installed soon.'
Following the video, opposition leaders sharply attacked the AAP. Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira posted on X (formerly Twitter), 'This proves AAP is full of fake revolutionaries. Their candidate doesn't even know who Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha is. Leaders like Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann are using our martyrs' names for politics.'
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) also expressed outrage. Harjinder Singh Bobby Garcha, president of the Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha Foundation and SAD spokesperson, called it 'extremely shameful'. He said, 'How can someone who doesn't even know our martyrs protect their legacy or serve Punjab and Punjabi culture?'
Garcha further warned that if MP Arora does not apologise publicly, the foundation will protest his campaign. He also claimed AAP is bringing outsiders into Punjab who have no knowledge or respect for the state's culture and history. 'This shows the real face of AAP. They are insulting Punjab's martyrs and traditions,' Garcha added.
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