Ludhiana: Former Union minister and BJP leader Ravneet Singh Bittu was detained by Punjab Police on Saturday after he staged a protest near the gate of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), where Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had arrived for a farmers’ event.
During the protest, Bittu reportedly waved a liquor bottle towards the chief minister’s convoy and said he was “returning the bottle” to Mann. He also threw the bottle and another object while raising slogans against the chief minister and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal.
Bittu had earlier announced that the BJP would respond to protests against its leaders and programmes. He said that if AAP workers opposed BJP rallies and yatras, BJP workers would also stage democratic protests against the Punjab government and its leaders.
Bittu alleges attack on his convoy
The detention came a day after Bittu’s convoy was allegedly targeted near Batala while he was travelling from Amritsar to Pathankot to participate in the BJP’s ‘Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra’.
Bittu alleged that protesters threw eggs and tomatoes at his convoy and that some vehicles were damaged. He blamed AAP supporters for the incident, although the allegation has not been independently established.
Bittu later said he had returned the eggs and tomatoes during his protest near the chief minister’s event.
He also warned that BJP workers would hold peaceful and democratic protests outside the chief minister’s programmes and offices when required.
After being detained, a post from Bittu’s official X account said that the “voice of the people” could not be silenced through detention or police cases. The post added that although he had been detained, his resolve remained strong.
The developments come amid heightened political activity in Punjab, with the BJP conducting its statewide anti-drug campaign ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.
