Punjab Police stops BJP’s camps, detains several leaders, workers

According to the BJP, these camps were part of the party’s outreach programme ‘BJP De Sewadar, Aa Gaye Tuhade Dwar (BJP is your servant, it will come to your door)’ to ensure that the poor, the scheduled caste community, farmers, youths and women get the benefits of public welfare schemes of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre.

Despite heavy rain and police action, the BJP workers attempted to hold camps across different districts, but authorities intervened and prevented the events, it said.

Vineet Joshi, state BJP media in-charge said, “Camps were to be held in Sujanpur (Pathankot), Mukerian (Hoshiarpur), Mehal Kalan (Barnala), Sardulgarh (Mansa), Malout (Muktsar), Baluana (Fazilka), Mullapur Khera (Mohali), Sanaur (Patiala), and Ropar.”

The BJP said that camps are going on since May 20 in 39 rural constituencies of Punjab, where around 1.56 lakh people got benefits.

However, none of the camps could proceed on Sunday as at several sites, police cordoned off areas, seized tents and furniture, and detained BJP leaders, triggering confrontations and sloganeering.
At Mullapur Khera in Mohali, BJP state vice-president Subhash Sharma was detained along with his supporters at the Chandigarh-Punjab border while on his way to the camp venue. On way to Amargarh in Malerkotla, state general secretary Anil Sarin was taken into custody and kept at the CIA police station in Amargarh.

In Fazilka district’s Amarpura village, former minister Surjit Jayani, suspended Congress MLA Sandeep Jakhar (nephew of state BJP president Sunil Jakhar), Vandana Sangwan, and district president Sukhwinder Singh Kaka Kamboj were among those detained.

At Mehal Kalan in Barnala, BJP workers were detained around 7 am while setting up tables and chairs. District president Yadvinder Shanti said that he was placed under house arrest since Sunday morning.

In Sardulgarh (Mansa), police seized tents and chairs and detained district president Goma Ram Poonia and other workers from the spot. They were taken to Jodkian police station, said Poonia’s supporters. In Malout (Muktsar), district president Satish Seja and leader Rajesh Pathela were held even before the camp began.

The day also saw dramatic scenes in Pathankot’s Sujanpur, where BJP leaders, including former Deputy Speaker of Vidhan Sabha, Dinesh Singh Babbu and former district president Vijay Sharma, staged a protest in pouring rain after being denied permission to hold the camp.

“Slogans were raised as workers sat on wet roads demanding the right to hold their event,” said Babbu.

At Dasuya constituency’s Haler village, police confiscated laptops from a camp site, alleged former state BJP president and ex-MP Shwait Malik which prompted protests by Malik, sitting BJP MLA Jangi Lal Mahajan, and other party members.

Similar tensions prevailed in Ropar’s Lalpura village, which BJP alleged was turned into a “police cantonment.” Vice president Fateh Jang Bajwa and district chief Ajayvir Singh Lalpura were arrested and kept at Haripur police post. All the detained leaders were released by Sunday evening.

Strongly condemning the action, Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar said the AAP government is adopting a “repressive policy” against the party’s campaign. He said the BJP’s public awareness camps cannot be stopped by such “oppressive tactics”.

Ashwani Sharma, working state president of the party, accused the AAP government of blocking information about Central schemes from reaching people.

“After promising health, education and employment, the same government is now blocking information about Central schemes from reaching the people, exposing its anti-common man agenda,” alleged Sharma.

AAP spokesperson Neel Garg, meanwhile, alleged the BJP was indulging in “data theft in the name of welfare camps” and slammed the union government for allegedly scrapping ration cards of eight lakh Punjab families.

“Data stolen, ration stolen. For BJP, politics is the only goal,” Garg posted on X, accusing the BJP of denying food to 55 lakh people.

Union Food Minister Pralhad Joshi had Saturday dismissed the allegations, stating, “Not a single ration card has been cancelled.”