The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Saturday sought a detailed report from the Punjab unit of the BJP over the row surrounding the party’s welfare camps and the detention of several party leaders including the state president.
Among those detained by Punjab Police was the state president, Sunil Jakhar. All the leaders, however, were released after a few hours.
Confirming the intervention, Jakhar told reporters in Chandigarh, “Yes, PMO has sought a report on this entire fiasco and they are concerned about each and every worker of the party.”
Jakhar said, on Saturday, that the BJP’s camps are intended to inform people about the party-ruled Centre’s initiatives including Ayushman Bharat Health Scheme, PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana, Labour Cards and Vishwakarma Yojana.
The state unit chief criticised the AAP government and alleged that “state service centers are not providing facilities for Central schemes”.
Sharing details of a recent camp in Raipura, Fazilka district, Jakhar said: “While police stopped me from going at that camp on Friday, 65 people received Ayushman Bharat health cards worth ₹5 lakh each at the same time, and 42 women applied under the Vishwakarma Yojana in this camp on the same day…” The state government is obstructing these camps, he said.
“The Aam Aadmi Party does not want the people to be aware and get benefits of government facilities,” Jakhar said, adding that even the 1076 helpline is now inaccessible.
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He shared photos of beneficiaries from the camp as proof that camp was conducted on Friday.
With 12.50 lakh farmers deprived of PM-Kisan benefits, there are about 35 lakh people above the age of 70 who are not covered under the health insurance scheme, he said.
He also alleged that vehicle owners are compelled to make repeated visits to offices, owing to pending registration of nearly eight lakh vehicles in Punjab.
Launching a sharp attack on state Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Jakhar said, “The Chief Minister only tweets; he does no work. The AAP government has betrayed the people. BJP neither fears hollow threats nor will it stop its work.”
Countering AAP’s claims
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Responding to CM Mann’s allegation that the Centre cut ration cards, Jakhar said, “Mann does not even know that making ration cards is the responsibility of the state government. The Center only allocates ration.”
He recalled that in 2023 the AAP government had decided to cut 10.50 lakh ration cards, only to reverse the decision before the Lok Sabha elections.
He also alleged that AAP ministers, including Harpal Cheema and Aman Arora, were issuing “statements full of lies on directions from Delhi,” adding that BJP would continue its public outreach despite “AAP’s false narratives”.
Recently, the Punjab Police stopped these camps at 39 places on August 20, charging that the workers did not have permission to organise camps there.
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While on Thursday the police detained BJP workers at 28 places across the state, state unit chief Sunil Jakhar was detained Friday on his way to a camp in Raipura in Fazilka district.
The ruling AAP had claimed that “no political activity has been stopped”, but those “illegally collecting personal data of people” are being investigated.
The BJP has been holding these welfare camps since May 20 in the rural belt as part of its campaign “BJP de sewadar aa gye ne tuhade dwaar (BJP volunteers have come to your doorstep)”.
