Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab Chief Spokesperson and MLA Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal slammed BJP leaders, saying that it is extremely unfortunate that opposition parties, especially the BJP, are not refraining from doing politics over the dead bodies of people in Punjab. He said that BJP President Kewal Singh Dhillon and other leaders going to village Toor Banjara and staging a drama over the death of a poor man, Gulzar Singh, reflects their vulture-like mentality, which keeps wandering in search of flesh and dead bodies. They have no agenda for the betterment of Punjab. However, the BJP leaders faced people’s anger there and were shown black flags, people did not allow them to enter the village.

Dhaliwal said that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s government stood by the victim’s family, a case was immediately registered against the accused and they were sent to jail, financial assistance was provided to the family, and a government job was also given to a family member.

He said that this is the same BJP, because of whom 750 farmers of Punjab were martyred during the farmers’ movement, which stopped Punjab’s all development funds and, along with the Akali Dal, sowed the seeds of drugs and gangsterism in the state. Today, when Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is working day and night to put drug dealers and mafias behind bars, BJP leaders are trying to gain political mileage to hide their failure.

He warned that the aware people of Punjab have sent a clear message by showing black flags to BJP leaders that politics over dead bodies will not work here. If the BJP does not mend its ways, then in the coming days, the people will oppose them even more strongly. He added that the Mann government will continue its war against drugs and drug smugglers until Punjab becomes completely drug-free.

Villagers in Toor Banjara, Sangrur, today chased away BJP leaders who reached the village, delivering a blunt message to the BJP that its divisive politics has no place in Punjab. Reacting sharply to the development, Punjab AAP State General Secretary (Organisation) and Media In-charge Baltej Pannu said the BJP’s attempt to play the caste card in Punjab had once again met with a strong public rejection. He said Punjab would never allow the BJP to replicate the Jat–non-Jat politics played in Haryana.

Reacting to the BJP leaders’ visit to Toor Banjara village in Sangrur, Baltej Pannu said that the response from the people was a clear message to the BJP that divisive politics has no place in Punjab. “Punjab’s soil is fertile, but the crops of religion, caste and hatred do not grow here. Before Toor Banjara, the people had given the same message to the Congress, and today they have sent the BJP packing as well,” he said.

Baltej Pannu said the BJP was attempting to bring to Punjab the same kind of caste-based electoral politics that it had played in Haryana. He said Punjab’s people have always rejected attempts to create divisions among communities for political benefit. “When elections were held in Haryana, they played the Jat–non-Jat game. Now they want to play the same game in Punjab. But such a game has never worked in Punjab and it will never work here in the future either,” he said.

Baltej Pannu said that political parties should understand that Punjab cannot be divided into caste-based vote banks. “Votes may be sought in other states by creating divisions on the basis of caste, but not in Punjab. The people of Punjab will not allow anyone to divide society in the name of caste or religion for electoral gains,” he said.

He said the message emerging from Toor Banjara should be understood by all three traditional political forces: the Shiromani Akali Dal, Congress and BJP. “Akalis, Congress and BJP leaders, read the writing on the wall,” he said, warning the Opposition parties against attempting to exploit caste and religious sentiments for political gains.

Drawing a clear distinction between the AAP’s politics and that of the Opposition, the AAP Punjab State General Secretary (Organisation) said, “AAP has done the politics of schools and hospitals. We have neither done the politics of religion and caste, nor will we do so in the future. AAP would not allow any political party to bring divisive and ‘dirty politics’ into Punjab. “We want to make it clear that we have never done the politics of religion and caste and we will never do it. We will also not allow anyone to do this kind of dirty politics in Punjab,” he said.

Baltej Pannu said Punjab has its own distinct social and political character, where people have consistently rejected attempts to create divisions among communities. He said parties seeking electoral gains through caste-based polarisation should understand that Punjabis will not allow such politics to take root in the state.

He added that the people of Punjab want politics centred on education, healthcare, development and public welfare rather than religion, caste and hatred. “The people have given their message. Those who are trying to divide Punjab for political gains should read the writing on the wall,” Baltej Pannu said.