Abohar, April 4
Two senior leaders of Aam Aadmi Party were injured in a clash on Monday as the party split into two factions in an attempt to wrest control over Abohar Truck Operators’ Union.
AAP flashed a message at 3.08 pm through its official social media channel calling the workers to reach the truck union premises on Abohar-Malout road.
Raghubir Singh Bhakar, one of the AAP unit founder members, and Pankaj Narula, district president of Traders Wing, had last week called a meeting of truck operators and formed a five-member committee to run the union that had been banned by Captain Amarinder Sigh-led government five years back due to infighting and misuse of funds.
Yesterday, another AAP faction having allegiance with Deep Kamboj, AAP candidate who lost in Vidhan Sabha polls, appointed Balkar Singh Balkara, who had been reportedly facing some criminal cases in the past decade, as president of the union.
As per videos of the incident posted on YouTube, Bhakar said before entering the union office that police had refused to cooperate arguing that the truck unions had no legal locus standi at present. Balkar group activists allegedly tore the clothes of Bhakar, who managed to escape with minor injuries, while Narula was allegedly attacked with ‘lathis’.
Bachittar Singh and Gurjant Singh of the Kamboj faction were also hurt in the melee. All of them were taken to the government hospital. Narula was in an unconscious condition when the reports last came in. Police have locked the union office. Narula has been referred to another hospital.
Earlier, the Deep Kamboj faction had appointed a businessman of Kamboj community as president of Arhtiya Association.
MLA Sandeep Jakhar strongly condemned the attack on AAP leaders Pankaj Narula and Raghuveer Singh Bhakar at the behest of another faction of the Aam Aadmi Party. He said this incident proved that under the guise of “Badlav” (revolution), the agenda is going on something else.
Sunil Jakhar asked Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann whether it was the way to fulfil the dreams of Shaheed Bhagat Singh. “SAD had earned a bad name by appointing halqa incharge who took law into their hands, AAP was following the similar culture,” he added.
AAP leaders injured as party factions clash over control of Abohar truck union
{$excerpt:n}
