Bathinda: A charged political atmosphere gripped Bathinda on Sunday after workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) confronted each other during parallel demonstrations linked to the arrest of Punjab Cabinet Minister Sanjeev Arora in an alleged money laundering case.
The standoff unfolded near the BJP office close to Mittal Mall, where party supporters had gathered to protest developments surrounding the Enforcement Directorate’s action against Arora. Soon after, AAP workers, accompanied by several senior leaders and MLAs, reached the site to register their opposition, triggering a tense exchange between both sides.
Sensing the possibility of escalation, police officials quickly stepped in and created a security barrier between the two groups to maintain order.
Senior officers, including SP (City) Narinder Singh and DSPs Amritpal Singh Bhaati and Arun Mundan, remained at the location to supervise security arrangements and ensure the protest remained under control.
During the protest, AAP leaders raised slogans against the Centre and accused the BJP of targeting Punjab through central agencies. They alleged that the Enforcement Directorate was being misused for political pressure.
Several prominent AAP leaders were present, including MLAs Jagroop Singh Gill, Balkar Sidhu, Jagsir Singh, and Sukhveer Singh Maiserkhana, along with former Mayor Padamjeet Mehta, Bathinda Lok Sabha in-charge Navdeep Jeeda, and district president Jatinder Bhalla.
Police deployment in the area continued for several hours as authorities remained alert to prevent any untoward incident.
The demonstrations were part of a statewide protest call issued by the AAP, with party workers gathering outside BJP offices across Punjab to denounce the ED’s arrest of Minister Sanjeev Arora.
