Bittu among 20 Congmen canecharged in Ludhiana
Tuesday, 26/05/2015
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LUDHIANA: Nearly 20 Congress leaders, including Ludhiana MP Ravneet Singh Bittu and MLAs Bharat Bhushan Ashu and Rakesh Pandey, were injured on Monday as the police canecharged partymen who were protesting ‘anti-people’ policies of the state government at the mini-secretariat here.
Member of Parliament Ravneet Singh Bittu raising slogans at the deputy commissioner’s office in Ludhiana on Monday.
The party leaders allegedly attempted to lock the main gate of the deputy commissioner’s office situated inside the mini secretariat when the police resorted to canecharge.
Bittu, MLAs Ashu and Surinder Dawar and district Congress committee chief Gurpreet Gogi were later rounded up and released after two hours.
To prevent Congress leaders from reaching the DC office gate, the police had put up barricades in the area. However, over 500 Congress activists carrying chains managed to break the barricade. As they tried to reach the DC office gate, police resorted to canecharge. “Minor use of force was made to stop the protesters,” said assistant commissioner of police (crime) Prithpal Singh.
Talking to mediapersons, Bittu said: “The protest was against the anti-people policies of the state government, especially against fuel cess and power surcharge.” He said the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) government had lost moral credibility to rule the state. “While people are facing several problems, the administration is busy in helping the Badal family by giving them bus permits and allowing illegal mining of sand” he said.
District Congress chief Gurpreet Gogi demanded an immediate roll back of fuel cess and additional duty on electricity.
