Newly appointed Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) state president Aman Arora offered prayers at the historic Kali Devi mandir on Tuesday.
Several party leaders including working president Amansher Singh Shery Kalsi, Vidhan Sabha speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwa, cabinet ministers Harjot Singh Bains and Harpal Singh Cheema, MLAs Ajitpal Singh Kohli and Chetan Singh Jouramajra, and other locals accompanied Arora as he offered prayers at the temple.
Beside, AAP workers organised a shukrana yatra (thanksgiving procession) through the city, which, despite its intended purpose of gratitude, brought Patiala to a standstill.
The procession caused severe traffic disruptions, leaving hundreds of commuters stranded.
The Mall Road, Patiala’s main thoroughfare connecting critical locations such as Rajindra Hospital, Mata Kaushalya Hospital, District Court, bus stand, and railway station, bore the brunt of the congestion.
Long queues of vehicles were seen at key junctions, while two-wheeler riders were forced to navigate narrow colony roads to reach their destinations.
Dhruv Sharma, a commuter stranded at Fountain Chowk, voiced his frustration and said, “Instead of being a thanksgiving yatra, it turned into a pain-giving yatra. I urge the leaders to avoid such practices that disrupt the lives of ordinary citizens.”
The disruption sparked widespread criticism from commuters, many of whom were delayed in reaching their destinations, including hospitals and workplaces. Local residents questioned the need for large-scale processions on busy city roads, especially during peak hours.
Despite the criticism, the AAP leadership remained unavailable for comment on the matter