Alka Lamba appears before police in Rupnagar, Punjab Cong leaders stage protest

Congress leader Alka Lamba, summoned over a case of ''inflammatory statements'' against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, appeared before the police here on Wednesday as party workers held a protest outside the SSP office over the matter.

However, police did not question Lamba as the case file related to the matter was with the Punjab and Haryana High Court which was hearing the petition filed by former AAP leader Kumar Vishwas against whom the case was filed in Rupnagar town's Sadar Police Station on April 12.

Police told Lamba that she would be given another date to appear before it.

Ahead of the Assembly polls, Vishwas had accused Kejriwal of supporting separatists. Lamba has been accused of backing the remarks made by Vishwas.

Congress workers, led by the state unit chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, protested outside the office of Rupnagar senior superintendent of police (SSP) and raised slogans against the AAP government.

They also accused the state government of indulging in political vendetta at the instance of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

Senior party leaders, including Punjab Congress Legislature party leader Partap Singh Bajwa, MLAs Sukhjinder Randhawa, Raj Kumar Chabbewal, Sukhbinder Sarkaria, Tript Rajinder Bajwa, former ministers Bharat Bhushan Ashu, Balbir Sidhu, Gurkirat Kotli and Punjab Youth Congress chief Brinder Dhillon accompanied Lamba when she reached Rupnagar to appear before the police.

Addressing the protesters, Warring slammed the AAP government in Punjab and accused it of ''misusing'' the police. He said the entire state leadership of the Congress came to Rupnagar in support of Lamba.

''We will not tolerate any injustice against our sister (Lamba),'' Warring said while dubbing the summoning of Lamba as "purely vendetta politics".

Former Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu too reached Rupnagar, however, he did not participate in the protest. He talked to mediapersons and left without meeting the party leaders. ''You (AAP) are trying to scare Alka Lamba. The people of Punjab have always stood by their daughters and sisters. We all stand by her,'' he told reporters outside the Rupnagar SSP office.

He further accused the AAP of settling scores with political rivals by misusing police.

Sidhu also targeted Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann over an agreement signed with Kejriwal, accusing Mann of ''mortgaging'' Punjab.

''You (Mann) are in a pitiable condition. You have nothing in your hands. You are a 'rubber da gudda' (rubber toy)," said Sidhu.

Sidhu also accused Mann of just making announcements and not implementing any poll promises.

During the protest, a glass door at the SSP's office got damaged as Congress workers tried to forcibly enter the premises following which, Warring, Partap Bajwa, Tript Rajinder Bajwa, and Lamba were allowed entry.

They were then told that the case file was with the high court so no questioning of Lamba could take place.

Lamba was then told to go to Sadar Police Station where the case was registered and the entire Congress leadership accompanied her there.

''Police told us that questioning (Lamba) cannot be done as the file was with the high court. Police also asked (Lamba) to mark (her) attendance at Sadar Police Station," said Warring.

''Entire leadership and Lamba ji were made to wait for over two hours and then told that the file was with the high court. Now she (Lamba) will be called again," said Partap Bajwa.

"All this is happening on the directions of Kejriwal and we condemn it," said Bajwa.

Lamba, while talking to the reporters, slammed the Mann-led government for sending police to her house to summon her. She accused the AAP government of ''misusing'' the police against its political rivals.

The Punjab Police on April 20 had visited the homes of Vishwas and Lamba in connection with a case registered over ''inflammatory statements'' against Kejriwal. Police had earlier summoned Lamba, the former AAP leader, on April 26 but she was later asked to appear before it on April 27.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)