Chandigarh: Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar was detained by the Punjab Police in Abohar on Thursday after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government ordered a halt to BJP’s outreach campaign ‘BJP de sewadar aa gaye ne tuhade dwar.’ The drive, aimed at spreading awareness about central welfare schemes, was stopped across the state following government orders, with several BJP leaders taken into custody from different districts.
Jakhar, who was leading one such camp in Abohar, was detained along with local leaders and workers. Strongly reacting to the move, he termed it “state terrorism” and accused the Bhagwant Mann government of misusing police machinery to block the BJP from reaching out to people. He also gave a call to party workers to assemble in Raipura on Friday in protest against the crackdown.
The AAP government defended its decision, alleging that BJP functionaries were illegally collecting Aadhaar details, ration cards, and bank information of people in violation of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023. Police seized campaign material and prevented the holding of further camps in several villages.
The action sparked political crossfire, with Congress MLA Sandeep Jakhar visiting Fazilka to support the detained BJP workers, while Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring accused both AAP and BJP of enacting a “fixed match” to weaken Congress in the state.
Meanwhile, BJP workers staged protests in Ludhiana and other towns, alleging that people were being deprived of benefits under schemes like Ayushman Bharat and PM-Kisan. The confrontation has added a fresh flashpoint to Punjab’s volatile political landscape, with parties sharpening attacks as electoral politics heats up.
