Ludhiana: Former Union minister and BJP leader Ravneet Singh Bittu was detained by Punjab Police on Saturday after staging a protest near the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) gate while Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was at the campus for the Kisan Mela.
Bittu reached the university entrance as Mann’s convoy arrived for the event. During the demonstration, the BJP leader held up a liquor bottle and said he was returning it to the Chief Minister. He also used the protest to target Mann and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal over what he described as issues concerning Punjab.
The protest came a day after Bittu alleged that his convoy was attacked near Batala while he was travelling to Pathankot for the BJP’s Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra. He had alleged that eggs, tomatoes and other objects were thrown at his vehicles and that some vehicles in the convoy were damaged.
‘Returning What Was Thrown at Us’
During Saturday’s demonstration, Bittu also brought eggs and tomatoes, saying he was returning them following Friday’s alleged incident.
He said the BJP would respond to protests against its leaders through what he described as democratic means and vowed to continue raising issues related to Punjab.
In a subsequent social media post, Bittu said his detention would not silence the opposition and maintained that the BJP would continue holding peaceful demonstrations outside government programmes and offices.
Police Detain Bittu
Punjab Police subsequently detained Bittu and took him away from the PAU premises.
The BJP leader was not immediately next to Mann’s convoy when the detention took place. He was positioned at the PAU gate, where he had arrived specifically to stage the protest.
The demonstration followed the confrontation near Batala on Friday, where Bittu had alleged that people linked to the ruling Aam Aadmi Party were behind the disruption. His allegations have not been established as fact, and reports have noted that the circumstances and responsibility for the incident remain subject to investigation.
Political Tensions Rise
The back-to-back incidents have added another flashpoint to the political confrontation between the BJP and the Punjab government.
Bittu said the BJP would continue organising protests against the state government and its leaders whenever required, arguing that political opposition should not be curtailed through police action.
The detention took place as Mann addressed farmers at the PAU’s Kisan Mela, where the Chief Minister spoke about agricultural issues and his government’s policies concerning farmers.
