Chandigarh, Aug 21 (IANS) Punjab BJP Working President Ashwani Sharma on Thursday claimed party workers and leaders were arrested from 28 places in Punjab for conducting outreach camps to promote Central schemes. The party announced to hold similar camps statewide on August 24.

The arrested leaders included former minister Perneet Kaur from Patiala, Manpreet Badal from Gidderbaha, former minister Surjit Jiyani from Fazilka, K.D. Bhandari and Sushil Rinku from Jalandhar, district president of Ludhiana (Rural) Sunny Kaith, Jiwan Gupta, Harjot Kamal from Moga, Seema Devi from Gurdaspur and state President of the Scheduled Caste Morcha S.R. Ladhar.

The camps under the BJP’s flagship campaign ‘BJP de Sewadar Aa Gaye Ne Tuhade Dwaar’ have been underway for three months. It aims to spread awareness about the Central government’s welfare schemes in rural areas. However, the BJP alleged Thursday’s arrests were being made only to deprive people of the benefits of Central government schemes.

Condemning the arrests, Sharma said the Mann government “is making an attempt to suppress the rights of the people.”

He made it clear that the BJP would in no circumstances stop organising these public welfare camps.

“Our mission is to deliver the benefits of the Central government schemes to the people. The Mann government cannot break our courage with the power of the police.”

Sharma said, “No matter how many arrests are made, BJP’s camps will continue”. He said it “is the party’s duty to make people aware of facilities like Ayushman card, farmer assistance, housing schemes, scholarships, and social security schemes.”

Joining the issue, BJP state president Sunil Jakhar challenged Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, stating that the BJP will once again set up a camp for the benefit of the poor in Raipur village in Fazilka district on Friday, from where the police arrested party leaders.

Earlier in the day, a BJP delegation led by working chief Sharma, including Kewal Singh Dhillon, Rana Gurmeet Singh Sodhi, Subhash Sharma and Anil Sareen, met Governor Gulab Chand Kataria and submitted a memorandum. Sharma said the government is using dictatorial tactics to deprive people of central benefits.

“A government that stops its own people from health cards, scholarships, and farmer assistance is not a government but a murderer of people’s dreams,” he said in a statement.

Sharma warned the BJP would go to any extent to protect people’s rights.

“If the Mann government does not stop its coercion, the land of Punjab will witness a massive movement, and this government will be seen trembling under public anger,” he added.

Justifying the arrests, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA and former minister Kuldeep Dhaliwal said the BJP “is deliberately targeting the people of Punjab. Removing such a large number of people from ration cards is a direct attack on the poor, Dalits and underprivileged sections of Punjab. We will not let this be implemented at any cost.”

He told the media that the Central government is making false excuses that cardholders have vehicles, houses and land in their name.

In reality, this is a well-thought-out strategy to harass Punjabis and defame the Punjab government. The BJP wants to snatch food grains from the poor of Punjab and provoke people against the Aam Aadmi Party and the Mann government. But their ploy will not succeed. The people of Punjab know the BJP’s intentions very well, he said.

–IANS

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