Bittu Detained After Egg-and-Tomato Protest at Mann's PAU Event

Former Union Minister and BJP leader Ravneet Singh Bittu was detained by Punjab Police on Saturday after staging a protest near the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) gate, where Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had arrived for the Kisan Mela.

Bittu carried eggs and tomatoes to the site, saying he had come to return the ones he alleged were thrown at his convoy the previous day. He had been travelling towards Pathankot on Friday for the BJP's Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra when, he claimed, the items were hurled at his vehicles.

The BJP leader placed the blame for Friday's alleged attack on the Mann government, describing it as the "dirtiest manifestation" of the AAP government's panic. He said that if anything happened to him or those travelling with him, the Chief Minister and the state Director General of Police would be responsible, and added that he had brought the matter to the notice of the Union Home Ministry.

Speaking after Saturday's protest, Bittu said he had returned what was thrown at his convoy and warned that BJP workers would exercise their democratic right to protest against the Punjab government and its leaders if AAP workers continued to demonstrate against BJP leaders, rallies and yatras. He said the party would keep raising issues concerning Punjab and would organise peaceful protests outside the chief minister's programmes and offices whenever necessary.

"This is a clear message to the Punjab Government - political opposition cannot be silenced through police action," he said, adding that BJP workers would respond to every democratic protest democratically and would continue to stand with the people of Punjab.

Punjab Police said Bittu was detained for attempting to throw eggs and tomatoes at the Chief Minister's convoy. He was later released.