Bathinda/Amritsar: BJP workers gathered outside Fire Brigade Chowk and burnt an effigy of Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, protesting the attack on Abohar MLA Arun Narang in Malout. Alleging deterioration of law and order, they raised slogans against the Congress government. BJP state media co-in charge Sunil Singla and others, who were present during the protest, alleged there was no sign of democracy in the state.
BJP leaders said the Chief Minister was not capable of running the state and should resign. In Sangrur also, party leaders burnt the effigy of the Punjab Government to protest the attack on the party MLA. “The Punjab Government has failed to provide security to our leaders and its leading to repeated attacks on our leaders. We will intensify our agitation in coming days,” said Randeep Deol, Sangrur BJP chief.
BJP leaders alleged that the incident was an outcome of the Congress-sponsored ‘goondaism’ and deep conspiracy to intimidate BJP leaders who were holding meetings in view of the Assembly elections next year. Led by Gautam Arora, the BJP Yuva Morcha held a demonstration outside the Hathi Gate area and raised slogans against the Punjab Government and Capt Amarinder.
Former state BJP president and Rajya Sabha MP Shwait Malik alleged that the attack was perpetrated by the Congress supporters as farmers did not indulge in such shameful acts. “The Congress wanted to intimidate BJP leaders as the elections were approaching in Punjab, but we will not get afraid by such tactics. We did not get scared even during the Emergency,” he said.
Condemning the incident, district BJP president Suresh Mahajan said they would meet local police authorities to ensure security of BJP workers and leaders after holding a meeting with its colleagues following Holi. BJP leader Ram Chawla said the CM should immediately resign on moral grounds for his failure to ensure security of its legislatures while there were intelligence inputs about this.
4 held for assault
Even as Punjab police arrested four persons on Sunday who were part of the mob that assaulted Narang, the Centre has expressed anguish over the attack with a senior Union minister saying that the state’s chief minister has failed to ensure the safety of the legislator. Asserting that the Centre is keeping a close watch on the functioning of the Punjab government with regard to the handling of violent protests against the new farm laws, the cabinet minister said, “We are disturbed and anguished. This will not go for too long, something will have to be done.” The minister was visibly perturbed about the attack on Narang, who was stripped and thrashed brutally by a violent mob in Muktsar and had a narrow escape after cops managed to shut him in a small shop.
