Ludhiana. In the run‑up to Punjab’s Assembly polls, political tensions have surged. On Saturday, former Union Minister and BJP figure Ravneet Singh Bittu disrupted Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s gathering in Ludhiana, prompting police to take him into custody.
The chief minister had just concluded a Kisan Mela at Punjab Agricultural University. As his convoy prepared to depart, Bittu, flanked by BJP supporters, stepped forward holding a bottle of liquor, declaring he was returning it to the minister and demanding answers on the state’s drug problem.
During the scuffle, Bittu alleged that tomatoes were thrown at the CM’s convoy and used the moment to denounce Mann’s handling of the drug menace in Punjab. He warned that the BJP would persist in confronting the state government on the issue.
Ludhiana Demonstration Mirrors Earlier Batala Clash
Bittu traced the incident back to a Friday episode near Batala, where he claimed his convoy, en route to the party’s “Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra,” was pelted with eggs. He said his security detail detained three assailants before police restored order.
Linking the two events, Bittu argued that if opposition leaders can protest BJP marches, BJP activists retain the democratic right to demonstrate against the ruling government.
Even after his detention, Bittu affirmed that the BJP would continue to spotlight Punjab’s challenges, staging peaceful protests outside the chief minister’s events and government offices whenever necessary.
