A dramatic sequence of events involving three state police forces–Punjab, Haryana, and Delhi–unfolded today following the arrest of BJP leader Tjinder Pal Singh Bagga.
Around 8.30 am this morning, BJP leader Tjinder Pal Singh Bagga was arrested from his residence by the Punjab police. The charges against him included making provocative statements, promoting religious enmity, and criminal intimidation.
The charges were pressed against him by the Aam Aadmi Party, which is in rule in both Punjab and Delhi. The party leaders justified police action, citing that Mr. Tjinder Bagga failed to cooperate with the investigation though the Punjab police sent him notices five times. AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj claimed that Mr. Bagga used obscene, toxic, and hateful language on social media.
Meanwhile, Delhi BJP spokesperson Naveen Kumar Jindal claimed that Mr. Bagga couldn’t even wear his turban when the Punjab police arrested him. Tjinder’s father, Preet Pal, accused the Punjab police of mishandling him and his son. He said as many as 10-15 cops barged into his house, punched him, and dragged his son away. He claimed that the cops snatched both their phones while trying to record his forceful arrest. After that, Mr. Bagga’s father filed a complaint with the Delhi police stating his son was kidnapped by the Punjab police.
What followed the arrest is nothing short of a filmi twist and turn of events. As the Punjab police team took Mr. Bagga and headed to a Mohali court, acting at the behest of the case filed by Mr.Bagga’s father, Haryana cops intercepted the Punjab police vehicle midway. Then they safely escorted Mr. Tjinder Bagga to a police station located on a highway in Kurukshetra, where they handed him over to a team of Delhi police.
The Punjab and Haryana courts have declined the Punjab government’s appeal to keep Mr. Bagga in Haryana. The high court in Harayana will hear the case again tomorrow. Meanwhile, Delhi and Punjab police are trading charges against each other over prior intimation before the arrest. Apparently, Mr. Tajinder Bagga’s tweet against Mr. Arvind Kejriwal over his views on the Kashmiri Filmes movie has created dissent.
Image Source: Video Grab