In a major crackdown on anti-social elements, Jalandhar Police on Wednesday filed an FIR against AAP workers who damaged public properties during their protest against Sushil Rinku and Sheetal Angural. On the direction of the Election Commission of India (ECI), the Jalandhar Police booked the AAP workers under various sections, and the surveillance team has been identifying the people who were involved in the protest. For the unversed, many AAP workers staged a protest at Babu Jagjivan Ram Chowk after Jalandhar West MP Sushil Rinku and MLA Sheetal Angural joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in New Delhi. As per reports, the AAP workers' protest almost turned violent, and many started to damage public property in the area along with chanting against Rinku and Angural.
Addressing the media, IPS Aditya stated that he intervened after the protestors started to damage public property. "It is quite simple. We will take legal action against such anti-social elements. We will not let the law and order of Punjab go on a toss. When the incident (damage to public property) started to take place, then I and the Police intervened. I am not aware if they took permission to conduct such a protest. We are taking this very seriously. We will take the help of the surveillance team and identify the people involved in damaging public property. Accordingly, we will take legal action," said IPS Aditya.
The AAP workers have been booked under sections 283, 427 IPC, and Section 3 Public Property Damage Act of 1985. The FIR has been registered at Jalandhar Thana Division Number 5. As per reports, the BJP has already informed the Election Commission of India about the protest, and therefore, the ECI officials ordered the videography of the place.
Why did Sushil Rinku quit AAP?
Addressing the media after joining the BJP, Sushil Rinku said, ""Today, I am formally joining the BJP only because of one reason i.e. the development of Jalandhar. States adjacent to Punjab are developing on a rapid scale but Punjab especially my constituency Jalandhar is falling behind. It is true that the promises I made to the people of Jalandhar were not fulfilled because my party (AAP) did not support me. Many development works could not even start in Jalandhar and its villages."
Rinku further said, "I am impressed with the working style of PM Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Whatever developmental work I brought to them whether it was Jalandhar's Adampur Airport, I was received very respectfully, especially by Union Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia. On my request, he started flight services from Jalandhar's Adampur Airport. I then demanded new trains then Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw gave the Vande Bharat Train for Jalandhar and even gave a stoppage on people's demand. "