- Demonstrators lay siege to Trident Group office, burn effigy over BJP switch
Punjab Newsline | Ludhiana
In Ludhiana’s Kitchlu Nagar, the youth wing of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) staged a protest on Saturday afternoon against Rajya Sabha MP and prominent industrialist Rajinder Gupta. Angered by his recent decision to join the BJP, AAP workers surrounded the Trident Group office located in the area around 3 PM.
During the protest, AAP leaders wrote the word “traitor” on walls targeting Gupta. Demonstrators also burned his effigy, raising slogans against his political move. A heavy police force was deployed at the spot to control the situation.
Parminder Sandhu, Vice President of AAP’s youth wing, termed Gupta’s switch to the BJP a betrayal of public trust. He said Gupta had officially joined the BJP just a day earlier, prompting youth wing members from across Punjab to gather in Ludhiana in protest.
Sandhu added that the party would not tolerate the BJP’s policies or the politics of defection. “The way Rajinder Gupta has changed sides, the youth wing has taken to the streets to give a strong response,” he said.