CHANDIGARH: Senior BJP leader and former Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu was allegedly targeted at Ghasitpura village while he was on his way to Pathankot, around eight kilometres from Batala on the Amritsar-Pathankot highway, to attend the launch of the BJP’s ‘Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra’ on Friday morning.
In a video posted on his social media page, Bittu alleged that a group of more than 200 people surrounded and disrupted his cavalcade, pelting his vehicles with stones and eggs. He claimed that those involved were supporters of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and alleged that some police personnel were facilitating the confrontation.
Bittu questioned how the group knew his route and movement schedule. He added that he was a Z-plus security protectee and that the incident took place despite the presence of his security personnel and police.
“Today, we were supposed to take out a yatra against drugs because this Aam Aadmi Party government and drug addicts are all colluding, and this is what they have been doing for the last four and a half years. There were around 2,100 people there. I passed through them in my vehicle. I have Z-plus security, with security personnel accompanying me,” he said. He added that the local Deputy Superintendent of Police and a Superintendent of Police were present with the police to protect them.
“A window pane of two escort vehicles broke. They also damaged the jammer vehicle,” Bittu alleged.
He alleged that a second attack took place after he sought shelter in a house in Ghasitpura, which he described as a “safe house”. Bittu claimed that some of those gathered outside subsequently attempted to enter the premises. His security personnel detained two men, one wearing a turban and another person. The two men were later seen seated on either side of him in a recording made after the incident.
The BJP leader told the media that if anything happened to him or those associated with him, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and the state DGP would be responsible. Bittu said that he had contacted the Punjab Director General of Police but had not received a response. He also said that the district police chief had not reached the spot and alleged that two senior police officers were assisting those involved in the incident.
“I have brought the matter to the knowledge of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and will be complaining against these officers with the Home Ministry,” said Bittu, the grandson of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh.
Bittu further alleged that he did not know who the people involved were, but their phones were active at the time.
“They are continuously saying, ‘Surround them, beat them, kill them.’ They attacked the vehicles, and the windows of the vehicles were broken. Eggs and tomatoes are a small thing. Some of them had weapons,” he said.
He further claimed that the turbaned man still had eggs in the pocket of his kurta.
Bittu also claimed that a mobile phone recovered from one of the men showed that two AAP leaders, including an MLA, were speaking to him live and allegedly giving directions during the episode.
Bittu further accused the AAP leadership of patronising drug peddling and alleged that its campaign against drugs was merely a “hoax”.
The BJP is launching its ‘Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra’ from Pathankot on Friday. The campaign is scheduled to pass through all 117 Assembly constituencies and cover nearly 4,000 km before concluding on September 30.
BJP president Nitin Nabin and other senior party leaders are scheduled to inaugurate the yatra.
