AAP strongly defends Punjab Police action against Bagga

Tribune News Service

Ravi S Singh

New Delhi, May 6

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) raised a stout defense of Punjab Police's arrest of BJP leader Tajinder Singh Bagga from his Delhi residence Friday morning. Senior leaders of AAP took turns to justify the Punjab Police action at frequent intervals, and with gusto, for the major part of the day.

Apparently, their defense of the police was part of a strategy to not allow the BJP to set a narrative against AAP on this development. They countered BJP leaders' criticism of Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national Convener Arvind Kejriwal.

Punjab Police had registered a criminal case against Bagga at Mohali Police Station for his Twitter post against Kejriwal with regard to the film, The Kashmir Files, about a month ago.

Senior AAP leader and MLA Saurabh Bhardwaj was all guns blazing against Bagga, saying he had a history of stoking  passion on communal lines to divide the society. “A slew of criminal cases had been registered against him for allegedly violating public order in the past. He had been booked several times for unbecoming conduct in public,” Bhardwaj said at AAP's headquarters.

He said Bagga ignored five summons of Punjab Police to subject himself to investigations in a FIR registered against him in Mohali. Bhardwaj counter-charged the BJP of being a "past-master" in creating the division. He rubbished BJP's allegation that the Punjab Police violated procedures in arresting Bagga.

The lists of AAP leaders coming on front foot to defend Kejriwal and police action against Bagga also included MLA Atishi Marlena, who said BJP harbours "anti-social" elements.

On the other hand, BJP Delhi president Adesh Kumar Gupta led a demonstration against Kejriwal near AAP headquarters. They wanted to take the agitation to the AAP office, but were stopped before the venue.

Addressing the protesters, Gupta said action against Bagga was at the prompting of Kejriwal to the Punjab government.

"It was to divert public attention from Kejriwal's yesterday's announcement that free and subsidized electricity in Delhi would be optional," Gupta added.

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