Chandigarh: Political tensions flared in Punjab as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government of obstructing its outreach programs and detaining senior leaders. A BJP delegation, led by Union Minister of State Ravneet Singh Bittu, met Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria to lodge a formal complaint.
BJP leaders alleged that the state administration is stopping the village-level camps they have been holding under the campaign “BJP De Sevadar Aa Gaye Tuhade Dwar”. These camps, scheduled to run until the end of this month, aim to spread awareness about central government welfare schemes and help people register for benefits such as the Ayushman Bharat card, PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, and the e-Shram portal.
According to the BJP, several of its leaders, including former MP Sushil Kumar Rinku and former MLA KD Bhandari, were detained during camp activities in Jalandhar. Party leaders also claimed a scuffle took place and alleged that police teams even reached the residence of Pathankot BJP district chief Suresh Kumar.
MoS Ravneet Singh Bittu said, “The AAP government has deliberately stalled central schemes for long. When we tried to take these benefits directly to the people, they started detaining our workers. This is an attack on democracy, and we will launch a public movement against such actions.”
With both the BJP and AAP sides digging in, the standoff reflects the sharpening political contest in Punjab as the BJP intensifies its rural outreach while the AAP raises concerns over data security and governance protocols.
