Several Congmen, Ravneet Bittu injured in lathicharge

Saturday, 13/06/2015

http://epaper.dailypostindia.com/Details.aspx?id=133007&boxid=31337&uid=&dat=2015-06-13

Ludhiana : Around two dozens of Congressmen including Member of Parliament Ravneet Singh Bittu were injured in a clash with police while the party leaders and workers locked the Zone-A office of Municipal Corporation protesting against the civic body on Friday.

Later, Police arrested the Congress leaders after they locked the MC office breaking the security cover of Police. After locking the office of Deputy Commissioner, the Congress party has announced to lock the MC office against the stalled development projects in the city. However, no case was registered against the detained Congress leaders and they were released from police custody after two hours. As many as 12 Congress leaders were admitted at different hospital and around 15 were discharged after medical treatment.

With the protest against the Municipal Corporation the district Congress also tried to show the united face as all the MLA’s, councillors, block presidents, ward presidents were present under the leadership of district Congress president Gurpreet Bassi Gogi.

After a protest rally outside the office of MC Zone office at Mata Rani chowk, the Congress leaders and workers led by MP Bittu moved towards the main gate of MC office. The police have to face a tough time to tackle with the protestors and the Congress leader reached the main gate of MC office after breaking the security cover of police.

To stop the Congress leaders from locking the main gate of the office, the police also made use of lathicharge in which MP Bittu and two dozen of Congress leaders were injured. Some of the cops were also rough up the Congress leaders when they thrashed Congressmen.

After locking the MC office the police pushed the leaders and workers into two buses and took them at Police station Salem Tabri. While, the cops were taking the detained persons at police station the Congress workers tried to stop the way of buses and police again made use of lathicharge to clear the way.

At police station also the Congress leader Ashok Parashar Pappi raised slogans against the state government and police turned mute spectators.

While taking to Daily Post, Ravneet Singh Bittu accused the Akali-BJP State Government of giving step-motherly treatment to the city, Ravneet said the VAT collected from the city after the abolition of Octroi is being transferred to Bathinda by the State Government. Barring few roads all are in a pathetic condition and are crying for patch work. There is no provision for street lighting in all parts of the city, contamination of drinking water is rampant with no arrangement of chlorinisation in tubewells, sewers remain blocked. The sterilisation and immunisation of stray dogs is not being implemented on the required scale but is being carried out in only selected wards.

Ravneet Bittu, lamented that the development works in Ludhiana City have come to a standstill due to the tussle between the Shiromani Akali Dal and BJP Councillors. As a result, the progress on all 333 projects has been stopped.

He also threatened to lock the doors of the office of Mayor and the Municipal Commissioner for non-performance as they are no help to the common man and have failed to live up to the expectations of the people.

Inadequate security arrangement by police during protest
Though police claimed of full proof security arrangements to stop the Congressmen to lock the MC office but the security arrangements of police were exposed when the Congress leaders and workers thronged into the premises of MC after breaking the barricade. The police have installed the barricades and deployed heavy force at main gate of MC office but the protests have easy entry showing thumbs down to police.

A senior Congress leader requesting anonymity said that the cops were against the state government and they made the smooth entry through the parking gate of MC office for Congressmen.

Protest turned kabaddi match
It was not less than a kabaddi match between the Congress MP Ravneet Singh Bittu and cops. Breaking the barricades and security cover of police MP Bittu was the first to reach the gate of MC office and the cops surrender him. Full of energy Bittu moved further to lock the MC office and around four cops of ADCP, ACP and inspector rank stopped him while one holding from the arms, another from shoulders and two other tried to push him back. Finally, 39-year-old Bittu won the ‘kabaddi match’ and hang the lock at gate of MC office showing thumbs down to cops.