Led by Punjab BJP chief Ashwani Sharma, the BJP workers held a protest near the party office in Chandigarh before they tried to move towards the Punjab Vidhan Sabha. Some BJP workers tried to jump over the police barricades that were placed to stop them from reaching the Vidhan Sabha. Police then used water cannons to stop them.
Later, police briefly detained some BJP leaders and workers. During the protest, many BJP leaders alleged that anti-national elements are again raising their heads after the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government came to power in the state.
BJP leader Ashwani Sharma said that the recent siege of the Ajnala police station by supporters of radical Amritpal Singh, who carried swords and guns and clashed with the police, demanding the release of one of Singh’s aides, is a clear example of the ruling government’s failure.
The BJP leaders allege inaction on the part of authorities in the incident. “There is no rule of law; jungle raj prevails in Punjab, and criminals are roaming freely,” said state BJP chief Sharma.
He had recently written to Mann, seeking an all-party meeting to discuss the “deteriorating” law and order in the state. BJP leaders and former Punjab ministers Manpreet Singh Badal and Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi also took part in the protest.
