Less than two weeks after getting his security cover restored, Aam Aadmi Party MLA Raman Arora on Thursday took to social media to say that he did not need police protection.
The MLA’s statement came amid controversy over the alleged initial cancellation of a bhajan programme on the orders of the Jalandhar police. Expressing annoyance, Arora posted on Facebook, “Jai Shri Ram! Jai Shri Bala Ji! I do not need the security of that very police which is creating hurdles in the preachings of Bala Ji.”
After a protest by all Opposition parties at Patel Chowk this noon, the police finally gave permission for the event.
Arora’s outburst was linked with the cancellation of a programme of bhajan singer Kanhiya Mittal at Sai Dass School grounds near here scheduled for Thursday evening on the orders of the police. The event was being organised by Kasht Niwaran Bala Ji Mandir, Sheikhan Bazaar, of which Arora is also a member. Like Mittal, Arora too has been a bhajan singer.
Last night, all organisers of the programme were told by the police that the event would not be allowed to be held and they were asked to remove all tents, lights and decoration. This morning, the event took a political colour with BJP leaders Sheetal Angural, Manoranjan Kalia and KD Bhandari and Congress leaders Rajinder Beri and some councillors sat at the roundabout near the venue and chanting ‘Jai Shree Ram’ and ‘Har Har Mahadev’ slogans.
While Arora remained unavailable after his social media post and did not visit the venue, his supporters claimed that the MLA had already taken all permissions well in advance and was being victimised as his rivals (within the party) did not want the event to go well. They also alleged that Arora’s poster around the venue with Kanhiya Mittal had been torn down.
Eventually, ACP Central Rajesh Thakur intervened and got all permissions cleared from the higher authorities. He announced, “The bhajan sandhya will be held as per the plan". But by then, all leaders, including Bikram Majithia from SAD and Sukhjinder Randhawa from the Congress, had issued statements against the AAP, painting it as being “insensitive towards issues of religious freedom".
AAP leaders, including minister Mohinder Bhagat and general secretary Deepak Bali, had to organise a quick presser, saying that permissions had not been granted yet and hence the confusion. “We too shall be attending the bhajan sandhya", they said. Meanwhile, the four security personnel of Arora are still intact even after his post. He had recently got his security back after almost a year as he remained behind bars in a case of corruption.
