BJP councillors accuse Ludhiana Mayor of bias & neglect, stage protest

Tensions flared at the Municipal Corporation’s Zone-D office on Friday as 18 BJP councillors staged a protest against Mayor Inderjit Kaur, accusing her of misconduct, political bias and neglect of civic responsibilities. The councillors alleged that development work in their wards had come to a standstill, with rising filth and mosquito infestations, yet the municipal officials concerned were unresponsive to their concerns.

According to the councillors, officials often ask about party affiliation before approving work, leading to discrimination in service delivery. The situation escalated when the councillors attempted to meet the Mayor to discuss these issues. They claimed that they were repeatedly sent in and out of her office, and eventually forced out following a heated exchange. “This is not a school where elected representatives can be thrown out like students,” said Councillor Pallavi Vinayak, adding that two councillors were physically removed from the office.

Councillor Gauravjeet Gora alleged that the Mayor’s “ego problem” had previously obstructed dialogue and was again responsible for Thursday’s confrontation. Councillor Suman Verma warned that if public grievances continued to be ignored, “there is no point in holding municipal elections.”

Following the incident, BJP district president Rajneesh Dhiman led a protest outside the Zone-D office, joined by senior party leaders and workers. Dhiman condemned the Mayor’s behaviour, calling it “not just misconduct but a murder of democracy.” He alleged that the Mayor acted under the influence of the ruling party’s MLAs and failed to treat all councillors equally. “Until Mayor Inderjit Kaur apologises, our protest will continue,” he declared.

Dhiman also highlighted the deteriorating condition of Ludhiana’s civic infrastructure, especially during the monsoon, and blamed stalled development work for the hardships faced by residents.

The protest saw participation from several senior BJP leaders, including Anil Sareen, Parveen Bansal, Jatinder Mittal, Renu Thapar, Gurdev Sharma Debi and Poonam Ratda, along with councillors and youth wing members.

In response to the allegations, Mayor Inderjit Kaur stated that the councillors came to discuss developmental issues with her and she gave them a patient hearing and called the officials concerned on the spot and tried resolving their problems. But suddenly the tone of the meeting shifted. “We were patiently discussing a few matters when some councillors began raising their voices. Hearing the commotion, security personnel entered the office as part of their duty but nobody was touched by the security guards, she said. “I continued to address them respectfully and asked for a calm environment to be maintained. Even some BJP councillors were urging others to stay composed. It seemed they had other intentions in mind,” she added.

Ludhiana