Ludhiana, February 22, 2026: Volunteers and leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday staged a protest against Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini in Ludhiana, welcoming him with black flags during his visit to attend the “Purvanchal Samman Rally.” As Saini’s convoy descended from the Dhuri Line railway overbridge, AAP workers raised slogans and displayed black flags, alleging discriminatory policies by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) against Punjab.
Leading the protest, AAP MLA from Atam Nagar Kulwant Singh Sidhu addressed the media and accused the BJP of consistently adopting an anti-Punjab stance. He alleged that while the party holds power at the Centre, it withholds funds meant for Punjab’s health, education and development sectors, and then attempts to mislead people during political visits. “The people of Punjab are not naïve; they understand the reality,” he said.
On the occasion, AAP’s Lok Sabha in-charge Sharanpal Singh Makkar also addressed the protesters. He said that the BJP and its leaders cannot cover up what he termed anti-farmer, anti-trade and anti-Punjab policies by holding public rallies. He further stated that raising what he described as misleading questions about law and order in Punjab was an attempt to create confusion among citizens.
During the demonstration, AAP Ludhiana Urban district president Jatinder Khangura cited figures to counter the BJP’s criticism. He claimed that according to reports of central agencies, Punjab ranks second in the country in maintaining law and order, while Haryana recorded higher numbers of serious crimes, including murders, in 2023 and 2024. He also alleged that the burden of debt on Punjab’s farmers increased during the period when the BJP was in power in the state.
AAP leaders stated that instead of seeking political mileage in Punjab, the Haryana government should focus on addressing issues within its own state. Earlier, the BJP-organized “Purvanchal Samman Rally” was attended by Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini along with senior Punjab BJP leaders. However, the protest by AAP volunteers outside the venue added a tense political backdrop to the event.
