Punjab: BJP holds protest outside Capt house, accuses him of creating ‘atmosphere of fear’

Senior BJP leaders on Sunday protested outside the official residence of Chief Minister Amarinder Singh against the attack on party’s Abohar MLA Arun Narang at Malout a day earlier. State president Ashwani Sharma accused the CM of creating an atmosphere of fear in the state and trying to create a divide between Hindus and Sikhs for narrow political gains.

The party leaders, led by state president Sharma, took off their shirts in protest and sat on the road outside the CM’s official residence in Chandigarh.

Earlier, a delegation of the Punjab unit of the party comprising several former presidents, including Shvait Malik, Tikshan Sud and Madan Mohan Mittal, met Punjab Governor V P S Badnore, demanding dismissal of the Congress government and lodged a protest against the “murderous attack” on the party MLA in which he was thrashed and stripped.

Speaking to mediapersons outside the CM’s residence, Sharma said that the BJP will protect the Hindu-Sikh bonhomie in the state as it had done during the trying times of terrorism in the state.

“What was the mistake of Arun Narang? All he did was to hold a press conference against the failures of the Congress government under the leadership of Capt Amarinder Singh in the past four years. Today we have come to protest outside Amarinder’s house to tell him that we can reach his residence too as orchestrated protests are being held outside the house of BJP workers,” he said.

The state president said only criminals like Mukhtar Ansari are safe in Punjab because they enjoy the patronage of the state government in jails while the common man and opposition leaders have to face the brunt of misuse of power by the Congress.

Sharma accused the Punjab Police of thorough complicity in the attack on MLA Narang. “The party had been in regular touch with the SP at Malout. Seeing the crowd gathering to attack him, Narang had taken shelter in a shop. However, this SP went to him and assured him of safety and took him outside. Thereafter, you all know what happened. The Punjab Police has been directed by the state government to be mute spectators of attacks on BJP leaders and workers,” Sharma said.

The state BJP president accused Amarinder of encouraging anti-social elements in the state. “Look at the statement issued by him yesterday ostensibly condemning the incident. In the latter portion of the statement, he has encouraged the goonda elements and given them shelter. This is unfortunate. BJP has seen unrest in Punjab and Emergency too. But we have not let democracy die. The same atmosphere is now prevailing under Amarinder’s rule in Punjab,” Sharma said.

Sud and Malik said that the voice of BJP cannot be stifled in Punjab through strongarm tactics. “We shall continue to raise our voice against the non-performance of Congress government and we shall not be cowed down by the attacks mounted on us at the behest of the Congress,” they said.

The BJP leader said that the Congress was feeling hapless in the days leading to the Assembly polls because of its widespread failure on various fronts. They accused the state government of encouraging sand and liquor mafia in the state and allowing law and order to deteriorate because goonda elements were being given shelter by the state government.

“We shall not allow Captain Amarinder to attack us in the garb of farmers. Law and order is a state subject. If as Chief Minister, he cannot protect the lives of people in the state and allow political parties to protest in a democratic manner then he should resign from his chair in that case,” Sharma said.