Ludhiana. In the run‑up to Punjab’s Assembly polls, political tensions have surged. On Saturday, former Union Minister and BJP leader Ravneet Singh Bittu staged a dramatic protest outside Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s event in Ludhiana, after which police placed him under arrest.

Protest at the Punjab Agricultural University

Chief Minister Mann had just concluded a “Kisan Mela” at the Punjab Agricultural University. As his convoy prepared to depart, Bittu, flanked by party workers, stepped forward holding a bottle of liquor and declared he was returning it to the CM. He claimed the bottle symbolised the alleged corruption of the state government.

Allegations and accusations

Bittu used the platform to denounce Mann’s handling of Punjab’s drug crisis, insisting that the BJP would keep pressing the issue. He also asserted that Aam Aadmi Party activists had previously pelted his own convoy with eggs near Batala, a claim he linked to the current demonstration.

Link to the earlier Batala episode

According to Bittu, while travelling to Pathankot on Friday for the BJP’s “Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra” (Drug‑Free Punjab march), his convoy was attacked near Batala, with eggs allegedly thrown at the vehicle. He said his security detail detained three suspects before police arrived and restored order.

Drawing a parallel, Bittu argued that if BJP leaders could be targeted during their rallies, the party likewise had a democratic right to stage protests against the state administration.

Detention and future plans

After being detained, Bittu vowed that the BJP would not be silenced, promising to continue highlighting Punjab’s challenges and to organise further peaceful protests outside the chief minister’s events and governmental offices whenever the situation demands.