AAP protests erupt in Jalandhar after BJP switch, homes of rebel MPs targeted

E-PaperSubscribeSubscribeEnjoy unlimited accessSubscribe Now! Get features like Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers on Saturday staged protests in Jalandhar, targeting cricketer-turned-politician Harbhajan Singh and educationist Ashok Mittal a day after they defected to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), amid anger over the exit of several Rajya Sabha members. The AAP youth wing protested outside Rajya Sabha MP Rajinder Gupta's residence and office, in Ludhiana on Saturday. (ANI)Protesters spray-painted “Gaddar” (traitor) on the walls of Harbhajan Singh’s residence in Jalandhar. Derogatory remarks were also painted on the main gate of the Lovely Professional University (LPU) campus in Phagwara, owned by Mittal. The demonstrations were led by local AAP leaders. Kartarpur MLA Balkar Singh and former MLA Pawan Kumar Tinu led protests at LPU, while Jalandhar mayor Vineet Dhir and party functionary Nitin Kohli led the protest at Harbhajan’s residence. Harbhajan Singh and Mittal were among seven Rajya Sabha members, including Raghav Chadha and Sandeep Pathak, who severed ties with the AAP on Friday. The move has significantly reduced the party’s strength in the Upper House. Chief minister Bhagwant Mann had termed the defectors “gaddars” on Friday, accusing them of betraying the mandate of Punjab’s people. Local party leaders echoed the charge, alleging the leaders had “backstabbed” the party for personal political interests. Tinu alleged that opposition parties were conspiring to weaken a party born out of a people’s movement. Jalandhar commissioner of police Dhanpreet Kaur Randhawa said she was aware of the protests but had no information about the graffiti. Harbhajan Singh could not be reached for comment, while Mittal declined to respond. In Ludhiana, AAP workers held protests outside the residences of Rajya Sabha MP Rajinder Gupta. “The people of Punjab will never forgive this betrayal. The BJP is deeply unsettled by Arvind Kejriwal’s politics of development, and is attempting to destabilise AAP through conspiracies,” said AAP Punjab Youth Wing acting president Parminder Goldy. Navrajdeep Singh is a senior staff correspondent. He covers agriculture, crime, local bodies, health and education in the Patiala district of Punjab.