Cong MP’s car vandalised in Ludhiana

Monday, 11/05/2015

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LUDHIANA: The car of the Congress Member of Parliament (MP) from Ludhiana, Ravneet Singh Bittu, was damaged in an attack by partyman Charanjit Singh “Jasraj” Grewal and his supporters near Circuit House here on Sunday.

Protesters showing black flags to Congress MP Ravneet Singh Bittu in Ludhiana on Sunday.

Stepping into the ruckus in which the car’s windowpane was smashed, the Congress legislator from Ludhiana West, Bharat Bhushan Ashu, allegedly assaulted some Youth Congress members, who continued the commotion and slapped and abused him back.

Earlier, Grewal and his supporters raised slogans against Bittu and showed him black flags when he came to Circuit House to launch a web portal of the Congress and distribute identity cards among its workers. Additional deputy commissioner of police Pamarjit Singh Pannu, ACP Jaskirat Singh and Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) station house officer Surinder Chopra reached the spot to control the situation. A heavy police moved in later.

Grewal, district general secretary of the Kisan and Khet Majdoor Cell of the party, had on Wednesday alleged that Bittu had not settled his payment of `1.31 lakh for the canvassing banners installing in the city during the last year’s Lok Sabha elections. “When I demanded my money, Bittu threatened me,” alleged Grewal. He had filed a complaint with the police commissioner, too.

Some of the Youth Congress members confirmed that Grewal and his supporters had breached the MP’s security and vandalised his car; and the Congressmen had hit back. Bittu had already denied all the allegations of Grewal and accused the SAD-BJP alliance of sponsoring the attack “because I had raised voice in the Lok Sabha against the Orbit Bus company owned by deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal”. Bittu said for one year, Grewal had made no noise about the pending bills.

“The SAD can apply any tactics but my voice will not be suppressed. I will continue the war against Badal, his businesses, and drugs,” said Bittu. Replying to a query, Ashu said: “We have come to know from sources that the women who protested were members of some organisation pampered by the state government. It was a pre-planned attack.”

Some Ludhiana Congress workers accused the faction of former MP Manish Tewari of sponsoiring the attack. The Congressmen abused and assaulted even photojournalists covering the incident. They snatched their cameras and damaged them when they didn’t turn off the cameras upon being ordered to.