Senior leaders from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab, headed by Cabinet Minister Mohinder Bhagat, were present at the official launch of the Doaba Zone of the Sanatan Seva Samiti in Jalandhar. The event, which took place on Saturday at the Red Cross Bhawan, saw the distribution of appointment letters to the office bearers for the Jalandhar district.
Government Support for Sanatan Initiatives
Addressing the gathering, Minister Mohinder Bhagat assured the organization of all possible support from the Punjab government. He commended the efforts undertaken by the Samiti for the service and promotion of Sanatan values. The function was also addressed by other prominent AAP figures, including Deepak Bali, Advisor to the Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs; Jalandhar Mayor Vineet Dhir; and Nitin Kohli, the party's in-charge for the Jalandhar Central constituency. Each of them praised the Samiti's work and extended their support for its future activities.
The Samiti's national president, Vijay Sharma, along with Doaba Zone In-charge Pavinder Behl and other office bearers, formally welcomed the minister and his colleagues to the event.
A Political and Organizational Journey
The launch in Jalandhar is part of the broader rollout of the Sanatan Seva Samiti in Punjab. The Punjab chapter of the organization was formally inaugurated earlier on August 6 in Mohali. That event was attended by top AAP leaders such as state president Aman Arora and minister Barinder Goyal, with representatives from various Hindu religious bodies across the state in attendance.
The Samiti's formation was first announced by the AAP in January in Delhi, ahead of the assembly elections there. The Delhi launch was a high-profile affair, graced by party supremo Arvind Kejriwal and senior leaders including Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh, and Saurabh Bharadwaj. On January 10, AAP's Delhi convener Gopal Rai announced the office bearers, appointing party spokesperson Ghanendra Bhardwaj as the state in-charge and Vijay Sharma as the state president.
An Independent Identity Claim
Despite its origins within the AAP framework, a notable shift occurred after the Punjab launch. Vijay Sharma, the state president, has asserted that the Sanatan Seva Samiti is not an affiliate of the AAP. He has clarified that it operates as an independent body representing the interests of the Sanatani community, distancing the organization from direct political party control while maintaining connections with political figures who support its cause.
The launch in Jalandhar signifies the Samiti's expanding footprint in the politically significant Doaba region of Punjab, marking another step in its organizational growth amidst the complex interplay of social service and political outreach.
