Ludhiana, Sep 19 (IANS): Former Union Minister and BJP leader Ravneet Singh Bittu was detained by Punjab Police on Saturday after he protested near the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) gate when Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s cavalcade was passing through the area.
Bittu held up a bottle towards the Chief Minister’s convoy, saying that he was “returning the bottle” to the Chief Minister and asking him to enjoy “his liquor” while allowing Arvind Kejriwal to “loot Punjab from Delhi”.
The incident took place as CM Mann arrived at PAU for the Kisan Mela.
Bittu also returned the eggs and tomatoes that were allegedly thrown at his cavalcade near Batala town on Friday while he was travelling for the BJP’s Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra.
He had alleged that his convoy was attacked on Friday and that vehicles in his cavalcade were damaged.
Speaking after the protest, 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 to raise issues concerning Punjab and would organise peaceful democratic protests outside the Chief Minister’s programmes and offices whenever 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.
The BJP leader was subsequently detained by the police.
A day earlier, after his convoy was pelted with tomatoes and eggs while en route to Pathankot to attend BJP national President Nitin Nabin’s flag-off of the party’s Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra, Bittu pardoned all three people apprehended by his security team.
Despite the seriousness of the incident, Bittu made it clear that such incidents cannot be allowed to undermine the democratic rights of political leaders and workers.
