Lakhimpur killings another blow to Punjab BJP

Sanjeev Singh Bariana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 6

Already firefighting the widespread anger against anti-farm laws, the state BJP has been hit hard by the Lakhimpur Kheri incident.

Talking to The Tribune, senior BJP leaders in the state conceded that the party had once again gone on the back foot. Low on morale, the party had given up on its public meetings following public opposition to leaders which climaxed with the physical assault on party’s Abohar MLA Arun Narang on March 27.

Cadre’s morale hit: Madan Mohan Mittal

The morale of our workers has been affected adversely by the UP incident. We were slowly crawling back to normal with smaller programmes. — Madan Mohan Mittal, state BJP ex-president

Also read: Another video from Lakhimpur Kheri shows minister's vehicle mowing down farmers at great speed

State BJP former president Madan Mohan Mittal said: “Yes, the morale of our workers has been affected adversely. After the attack on MLA Narang, the party high command had asked us to avoid big public meetings. We were slowly crawling back to normal with smaller programmes. But the Lakhimpur Kheri incident has once again come as a body blow and stopped our party activities.”

Another former president, requesting anonymity, said: “Things are getting from bad to worse for our workers on the ground. I fail to understand why the Centre is dithering over removal of the Cabinet Minister and the arrest of his son. I am getting calls from our party workers saying they have once against started facing hostility.”

State BJP president Ashwani Sharma said: “What happened in UP’s Lakhimpur is very unfortunate. The issue needs to be probed thoroughly and the guilty punished. Our programmes have not stopped, only the format has changed. We know it is not farmers but anti-nationals who are disturbing the peace. We are fully geared to meeting the challenge of guarding against terrorists in the garb of farmers.”

Bring guilty to book: Ashwani Sharma

What happened in UP’s Lakhimpur is unfortunate. The issue needs to be probed thoroughly and the guilty punished. Party events have not stopped. — Ashwani Sharma, state BJP chief