BJP leader and former Union minister Ravneet Singh Bittu was detained by Punjab Police on Saturday after staging a protest near the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) gate in Ludhiana, where Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was scheduled to attend the Kisan Mela.
Bittu reached the PAU gate ahead of Mann’s arrival and held up a bottle of liquor as the Chief Minister’s convoy passed through the area. He said he was “returning the bottle” to Mann and also took a swipe at the Chief Minister over AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal.
The BJP leader also brought eggs and tomatoes to the protest, referring to the incident involving his cavalcade near Batala on Friday. Bittu had alleged that eggs, tomatoes and other objects were thrown at his convoy while he was travelling for the BJP’s ‘Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra’. He had also claimed that vehicles in the cavalcade were damaged.
BJP leader says protest was democratic right
Explaining Saturday’s demonstration, Bittu said, “Yesterday eggs and tomatoes were thrown at my cavalcade. Today I have returned them. If AAP workers are going to protest against BJP leaders, rallies and yatras, then BJP workers will also exercise their democratic right to protest against the Punjab Government and its leaders. We will not remain silent.”
Bittu said the BJP would continue raising issues related to Punjab and hold peaceful protests outside the Chief Minister’s programmes and offices when required.
“This is a clear message to the Punjab Government — political opposition cannot be silenced through police action. BJP workers will answer every democratic protest democratically and will continue to stand with the people of Punjab,” Bittu said.
Punjab Police detains Bittu
Bittu was subsequently detained and taken away from the PAU premises by Punjab Police. He was at the university gate for the protest and was not close to Mann’s convoy when the demonstration took place.
The detention came a day after Bittu alleged that his convoy was attacked near Batala during his travel for the BJP’s anti-drug campaign.