Tensions Escalate in Punjab: Ravneet Singh Bittu Detained After Confronting CM Mann’s Cavalcade

Ludhiana: The political climate in Punjab reached a boiling point on Saturday as former Union Minister and senior BJP leader Ravneet Singh Bittu was taken into police custody following a confrontational protest near the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) gate. The incident occurred as Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann arrived at the venue to participate in the scheduled Kisan Mela.

The demonstration, led by Bittu, was a direct retort to a volatile situation that unfolded just a day earlier. Bittu, the grandson of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh, alleged that his convoy was subjected to a targeted attack involving eggs and tomatoes while he was en route to Pathankot for the party’s “Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra.”

A Symbolic Protest Turns Into Detention

Armed with the very projectiles he claimed were used against him a day prior, Bittu stood his ground near the PAU entrance, asserting that he had come to “return” the eggs and tomatoes thrown at his team. The situation escalated rapidly as the Chief Minister’s security detail moved to secure the area, leading to the local police detaining the BJP leader.

Reflecting on the standoff, the former minister adopted a defiant tone. “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,” Bittu told reporters. “We will not remain silent.”

Growing Political Friction

The BJP leader characterized the Friday attack on his convoy as a desperate act, describing it as the “dirtiest manifestation” of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party’s growing panic. He further escalated the issue by indicating that he had formally apprised the Union Home Ministry of the safety concerns surrounding BJP workers in the state.

Bittu issued a stern warning, stating that should any harm befall him or his associates, the accountability would lie squarely with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and the state’s Director General of Police (DGP).

BJP Vows Continued Resistance

Despite his detention, the BJP leader signaled that his party would not be intimidated by police action. He emphasized that the protest was a calculated move to highlight what he describes as the misgovernance of the current administration.

“This is a clear message to the Punjab Government—political opposition cannot be silenced through police action,” Bittu stated. “BJP workers will answer every democratic protest democratically and will continue to stand with the people of Punjab.”

The Punjab Police confirmed the detention, citing the attempt to disrupt the Chief Minister’s convoy and the intent to hurl objects as the primary reasons for the intervention. As the situation remains fluid, the incident underscores the deepening rift between the BJP and the AAP in Punjab, raising concerns about the potential for further disruptions as political maneuvers intensify across the state.

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