Rajya Sabha MP and former cricketer Harbhajan Singh has filed a petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court challenging the removal of his security cover by the Punjab Police. In his plea, he questioned the state authorities on why his police protection was withdrawn and requested the court to order immediate reinstatement. The police security cover comprising 9-10 policemen was withdrawn on Saturday (April 25). It is noteworthy that Harbhajan, along with six other MPs including Raghav Chadha, had recently joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Court issues notice to Punjab govt
The High Court has issued a notice to the Punjab government seeking clarification on the decision to withdraw Harbhajan's security. In his petition, the MP cited protests outside his residence where the word "traitor" was allegedly written on the walls and said such incidents posed a risk to him and his family. The court has asked the government to respond based on its security review. The matter is scheduled to be heard on May 12.
AAP holds protests outside residences of MPs
On Saturday, AAP workers held protests outside the residences of Rajya Sabha MPs Harbhajan Singh, Ashok Mittal and Rajinder Gupta, who quit the party and joined the BJP. The workers wrote 'Gaddar' (traitor) on the boundary walls of their houses with spray paint in Ludhiana and Jalandhar.
On Friday, AAP Rajya Sabha members Raghav Chadha and Sandeep Pathak announced that they were quitting the party and joining the BJP along with five other MPs. Ashok Mittal, Harbhajan Singh, Rajinder Gupta, Swati Maliwal, and Vikramjit Sahney were the other AAP MPs they named. The protesters raised slogans of "Punjab de Gaddar", accusing them of betraying the people of Punjab.
ALSO READ: Punjab Police withdraws security cover of MP Harbhajan Singh after BJP switch
