Pathankot (Punjab) [India], September 18 (ANI): BJP leader Krishan Dev Bhandari on Friday termed the alleged attack on party leader Ravneet Singh Bittu's cavalcade, a former Union minister, “very condemnable” and said such an incident was “fatal” for democracy.
He said the incident reflected the failure of the Punjab government and claimed that the law and order situation in the state had “completely collapsed”.
Speaking to ANI, Bhandari said, “This is a very condemnable thing. The way our former Union Minister was attacked in Batala, I think this is a very dangerous thing for democracy. He has been a former minister, and we strongly condemn the way this incident took place. I can call this a failure of the Punjab government.”
“Look at Punjab; the law and order situation has completely collapsed. If such an incident happens to someone who has been provided such extensive security, then what will be the condition of the common people? You saw that an ASI was also shot dead in Amritsar last night. The law and order situation in Punjab is very worrying, and the present government is not working properly,” he said.
Advocate HS Phoolka alleged that people who raise their voice against drug trafficking are attacked in Punjab.
He said the BJP is conducting the yatra to encourage people working against drug traffickers in villages and to convey that the party would stand with them in the fight against drugs.
“In Punjab, the situation is such that drugs are sold here like salt… Whoever raises their voice against drugs and drug traffickers is attacked. There have been many such cases here… they raised their voices against drugs and had to lose their lives. Nobody says anything to the drug traffickers, while people who raise their voices against drugs are attacked,” Phoolka told ANI.
“Take the case of Bittu ji today. When he was coming to the rally to raise his voice against drugs, he was also attacked on the way. The situation in Punjab is so bad. The BJP is holding this rally and yatra to encourage those working against drug traffickers in villages and tell them that the Bharatiya Janata Party stands with you, will fight this battle with you, and will get drugs eliminated from Punjab,” he said.
Former Union Minister Vijay Sampla said drugs had spread across Punjab and alleged that there was no law and order in the state.
Sampla said that without central security, the leaders may not have remained safe.
He also referred to an alleged attack on him two days ago and claimed that other BJP leaders had earlier been stopped while travelling to meet the family of Gulzar Singh.
“There is complete goondaraj in Punjab. You saw that I was also attacked two days ago. Before that, when Gulzar Singh ji died by suicide, and the name of a Punjab minister also came up in that matter, our top leadership — state president Kanwaljeet Singh Dhillon ji, national vice-president Manpreet Badal ji, Ashwini Sharma ji and Sunil Jakhar ji — went to meet his family. They were also surrounded on the way If they had not had central security, perhaps they would not have been able to remain safe. And today, what happened to Ravneet Bittu, and an ASI was also killed in Amritsar today. If you look at these daily incidents, somewhere or the other, there is complete goondaraj in Punjab. There is no government to speak of,” Sampla said.
President of Mahila Morcha Punjab, Jai Inder Kaur described the alleged attack on Bittu as an “unfortunate incident” and alleged that it was an attempt to divert attention from the yatra.
Kaur also alleged that the Punjab government had failed to curb drugs and said the law and order situation in the state was not satisfactory.
“Today, a very unfortunate incident took place in which Ravneet Bittu was attacked. In my view, this attack is intended to deflect attention from the yatra that we are undertaking because they know that this is the government’s failure. So much drug abuse has spread across Punjab. They had said that they would completely eliminate drugs. There is no law and order at all. Absolutely no law and order. Wherever you go, there is some incident of firing or robbery taking place. And today, you can see that they have even attacked a Union Minister,” she said.
These remarks come after Bittu alleged that his cavalcade was attacked while he was on his way to Pathankot to attend the launch of the party’s ‘Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra’.
BJP National President Nitin Nabin is scheduled to flag off the party’s ‘Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra’ from Pathankot today.
The yatra will cover 4,000 kilometres across all 117 Assembly constituencies before concluding in Jalandhar on September 30, where Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to address a rally. (ANI)
“Failure of Punjab government”: BJP's Krishan Dev Bhandari on alleged attack on Ravneet Singh Bittu's carcade
