Hoshiarpur, Jun 6 (PTI) Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring on Saturday, along with party workers, took apart brooms to protest the AAP government’s alleged misuse of official machinery against political rivals in the state.
The protest follows a political row involving Congress supporter Arshdeep Singh, who was detained and later sent to judicial custody for allegedly disrespecting the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) election symbol, the broom. He was later released.
In a complaint, it was alleged that during celebrations after the municipal poll results on May 29, a group of youths gathered outside the residence of an AAP functionary in Mohalla Ahiyapur, engaged in unruly behaviour, scattered the broom (strands), issued threats and circulated related content on social media, which could disturb public order.
Police then filed a daily dairy report on the complaint.
Slamming the alleged heavy-handed behaviour in the matter, Warring on Saturday led the protest in which brooms were taken apart.
He also met Ashrdeep and his family members. Expressing solidarity, the state Congress chief told them that the entire rank and file of the party stood by him.
“The disassembling of brooms is just the beginning and it will end up in disassembling of the entire AAP by the next elections,” he asserted, while adding that the ruling party will just “vanish in thin air in the 2027 elections”.
He took a jibe at AAP leaders, asking them not to get too “touchy” about the broom and see everything as disrespect. He said the AAP’s “hyper-reaction in ordering the arrest of Arshdeep for a routine protest” reflected the level of insecurity it was suffering from as it was staring at an imminent defeat.
Warring strongly condemned the “dictatorial” and “authoritarian” action of the Punjab Police in the matter.
“Such action against a Congress worker just because he had disassembled a broom, shows how frustrated and insecure the AAP government has become in Punjab,” he said.
The Congress leader further alleged that as opposes to the action against Arshdeep, the ruling party showed “complete paralysis when it came to taking action against the sacrilege of holy Guru Granth Sahib”.
“Today, people have started disassembling only the broom, which you take as disrespect. What will you do when they kick you out of Punjab in the elections?” he said. PTI COR CHS PRK
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.