Tension erupted in Jalandhar's rural belt today following two top BJP leaders' detained by the police. Former Member of Parliament Sushil Rinku was arrested in Lambra, while party leader KD Bhandari was detained in Shahkot.
The operation was conducted under the supervision of DSP Omkar Singh Barar in Shahkot's village Rupewali. Police say the leaders were set to establish political camps in the region without seeking the administration's permission.
The moment the news of the detentions spread, BJP workers began to congregate at various locations in Jalandhar to hold protests. The move comes when the party is already locked in a confrontation with the Punjab government over recently closed public service camps. A few days back, the government ordered closure of 39 BJP-organized camps, for which the saffron party came down heavily. The BJP alleges that the state government is intentionally bringing its outreach work to a halt. In the meantime, the Punjab government has given new directives to all Deputy Commissioners to take stern action against all those gathering public data in their jurisdictions without permission. The directive says categorically that only government-recognised organisations are allowed to access such data, and no new camp or activity can be set up without official approval.
The detention of Rinku and Bhandari is likely to intensify the current political battle between the BJP and the state government as the two entities are gearing up for the next political season.