Kejriwal in trouble- hit Punjab today

Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday will visit Kotkapura in Punjab’s Faridkot district, which has been the nerve centre of protests over recent incidents of sacrilege and police firing in the state. Mr Kejriwal’s visit assumes significance as the AAP is eyeing the 2017 Assembly polls in the state and has restructured its unit there.

Senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh, who is incharge of the party’s Punjab affairs, said apart from meeting families of people killed in the violence, Mr Kejriwal will also pay obeisance at the Golden Temple, the holiest shrine of Sikh religion.

The state gave four MPs to the party in the Lok Sabha elections, of which two were recently suspended for “anti- party” activities. “Tomorrow Arvind Kejriwal will visit Shri Harmandir Sahib, and later Kotkapura, to meet families of people died in violence,” AAP’s Punjab co- convenor Durgesh Pathak said.

After being on the boil for about a week , Punjab was peaceful on Thursday even though some places witnessed tension and paramilitary forces conducted flag marches in various parts of the state.

AAP’s Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann met Union home minister Rajnath Singh and urged him to ensure peace in the state. Mr Mann conveyed Mr Singh that the situation in Punjab was “very disturbing”. Ten companies of paramilitary forces and Punjab police personnel are keeping a tight vigil in the wake of protests by Sikh organisations.