Chandigarh Police used water cannons to disperse Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers heading to the Sector 8 residence of Punjab leader of opposition (LoP) Partap Singh Bajwa after they attempted to breach barricades on Monday. The protest was triggered by Bajwa’s alleged derogatory remarks against cabinet minister Harbhajan Singh ETO.
Punjab AAP workers braving water cannons while trying to climb barricades in Chandigarh on Monday. They were prevented from marching to the house of leader of opposition Partap Singh Bajwa to protest against his remarks. (Keshav Singh/HT)
The controversy erupted after Bajwa reportedly referred to the state PWD minister as a “band player (band vajaun wala)” during a Congress rally in Jandiala Guru. The AAP leadership termed the remark a “casteist slur” and “a direct insult to the Dalit community”.
Reacting to the comment, the minister said, “My father used to play in a band to support us. I am a proud son of a hardworking man. Bajwa’s remarks show his elitist and anti-Dalit mindset.”
Led by senior cabinet ministers and MLAs, scores of AAP volunteers marched from the Punjab MLA Hostel in Sector 4 toward Bajwa’s residence.
Heavy police deployment met the protesters at the Sector 7/8 dividing road. When the protesters tried to push through the barricades, security forces deployed water cannons.
Several AAP leaders, including Punjab finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema and other high-ranking officials, were briefly detained before being released.
In a symbolic jab, some AAP supporters arrived with a brass band, playing music near the barricades to mock the LoP’s statement.
Cheema demanded an unconditional apology from the Congress leadership. “This isn’t just about one minister; it’s about the thousands who work hard in traditional professions. The Congress cannot stomach a common man rising to the rank of a minister,” Cheema told reporters.
Meanwhile, the Congress dismissed the protest as “political theatrics”.
“The AAP is trying to create a mountain out of a molehill to divert attention from its own administrative failures. There was no casteist intent in the LoP’s metaphor; it was a political pun regarding the minister’s performance,” Congress leader Aruna Chaudhary said.
The clash comes at a time when the relationship between the two INDIA bloc partners in Punjab is at an all-time low. With an eye on the 2027 assembly elections, both parties are jostling for the Dalit vote bank, which constitutes nearly 32% of Punjab’s population.
