AAP leader Lucky Oberoi was shot dead in broad daylight in Punjab’s Jalandhar on Friday after unidentified assailants opened fire at him near a Gurdwara in the Model Town area.
The incident took place in the morning, police said, adding that he was rushed to a hospital in an unconscious state and succumbed to the bullet injuries.
Oberoi, 38, a Jalandhar-based AAP leader, had arrived at the gurdwara in his car. He was preparing to leave in his Mahindra Thar Roxx after paying obeisance. The assailants, who were on a two-wheeler, opened 8-10 shots at him, police said.
He was rushed to a hospital in Jalandhar, but succumbed to injuries, ACP Jalandhar, Parminder Singh said.
Jalandhar police have launched an investigation into the incident.
Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa in a post on X said, "The shocking daylight murder of @AAPPunjab leader Lucky Oberoi outside a gurdwara in Jalandhar, exposes the grim reality: if even ruling party leaders aren't safe, what hope remains for ordinary citizens?" "Punjab today is gripped by fear, gang violence, and administrative paralysis, while the AAP government remains busy with PR and excuses.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann must answer: who is responsible for this complete breakdown?" Bajwa said in his post.
BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh also slammed the Mann government and said that the brutal daylight killing of AAP leader is not just a murder; it is a chilling reminder that Punjab is slipping into complete lawlessness.
"When leaders of the ruling party themselves are being gunned down in public places, it exposes the utter collapse of governance and the dangerous rise of gangster raj across the state.
If those in power are not safe, what protection remains for the common people of Punjab?" Chugh said in a post on X.
Chugh said that AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal promised to eradicate criminals and miscreants from Punjab, "but instead it has pushed the state deeper into fear, drugs, organised crime and administrative paralysis.
The Mann government appears more interested in political optics and PR than in protecting lives.
"My Punjab, once known for its courage and prosperity, is now being pushed towards anarchy due to sheer incompetence and lack of leadership.
The people of Punjab deserve security, dignity and a government that can actually govern," Chugh said.