Daijiworld Media Network - Chandigarh
Chandigarh, Sep 19: BJP leader and former Union Minister of State Ravneet Singh Bittu has alleged that his convoy was attacked by a group of people near Batala in Punjab while he was travelling to Pathankot to attend the BJP's ‘Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra’ on Friday. He alleged that the attackers included Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) functionaries and accused the local police of failing to intervene.
According to Bittu, the incident occurred on the GT Road near Ghasitpura, around eight kilometres from Batala, when a police pilot vehicle was placed in front of his convoy, bringing it to a halt. He alleged that a group of people who had gathered nearby then emerged and began pelting the vehicles with stones and eggs. Reports from The Tribune and Indian Express also place the incident near Ghasitpura on the Amritsar-Pathankot route.
Bittu claimed that the group included an AAP constituency in-charge, a district council member and a block committee member. He alleged that the attackers damaged two escort vehicles and the jammer vehicle, with window panes of two escort vehicles being broken.
According to Bittu, eggs thrown at the jammer vehicle created foam on its windscreen, obstructing the driver's view and causing the vehicle to veer off course. He further alleged that stones and eggs were thrown at his vehicle as the crowd moved towards his convoy.
Bittu claimed that more than 200 people had gathered at the spot and alleged that local police personnel failed to act against them. He further accused the police of directing the attackers towards his convoy. Other reports said the gathering was near a community kitchen or langar being organised along the roadside.
The BJP leader said his security personnel apprehended three people following the incident, but a larger crowd subsequently gathered and attempted to free them. The Tribune reported that one of those held was Anmol Randhawa, a Zila Parishad member, while Bittu alleged links between those involved and AAP functionaries. These allegations have not been independently established.
Bittu said the situation could have turned dangerous and claimed that he repeatedly contacted Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav after the crowd gathered. He said he later approached the office of Union Home Minister Amit Shah when the situation remained tense.
“Do you want a Z-plus protectee killed here? No one is arriving,” Bittu said he told the DGP.
He claimed that after his communication with the Union Home Ministry, Batala-based IPS officer Dr Mehtab Singh reached the spot and the situation was brought under control. The police subsequently escorted Bittu to safety, according to reports.
Bittu also alleged that three armed men had managed to escape police custody and warned that his security personnel could have been forced to open fire had the crowd continued to swell. He claimed that no FIR had been registered in connection with the incident and that a police officer had instead asked him to submit his complaint by email.
The former Union minister accused the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government of allowing what he described as a nexus between politicians, police and gangsters to operate in Punjab. He also alleged that the illegal drug trade, particularly the sale of “chitta”, had become deeply entrenched in the state.
Bittu further accused the AAP government of allegedly using people associated with criminal activities for political purposes and claimed that gangsters were being brought into political positions to influence elections. He did not provide evidence for these allegations during his interview.
He also criticised the state government's handling of law and order and alleged that the Punjab Police had been reduced to “puppets” of the government. Bittu claimed that the political leadership and police were failing to protect Punjab's youth from drugs and alleged the emergence of what he described as a “combination of the government, the police, and gangsters”.
In a warning directed at Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Bittu said, “The day I get my hands on his neck, I will settle the score with him.” He also referred to Mann as being “always dead drunk” while accusing the Chief Minister of responsibility for the alleged attack and the wider law-and-order situation.
The BJP backed Bittu's allegations and launched an attack on the AAP government. BJP Rajya Sabha MP Tarun Chugh accused Mann and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal of being behind the alleged attack and claimed that “mafia raj” was operating openly in Punjab.
BJP national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi also criticised the Mann government over the drug issue and alleged that Punjab's youth were being pushed towards drug addiction.
Bittu maintained that the alleged attack was aimed at intimidating BJP leaders and workers and disrupting the party's anti-drug campaign. The BJP's ‘Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra’ was being launched as a statewide campaign against drug abuse and was scheduled to cover all 117 Assembly constituencies before concluding in Jalandhar on September 30.
The allegations concerning the identity and political affiliation of the attackers, the role of the police and the circumstances surrounding the incident remain claims made by Bittu and the BJP. Initial reports also noted that the AAP denied involvement, while an investigation and further official clarification are awaited.