Lok Insaaf Party claims they were ‘attacked’ outside Ludhiana MP Ravneet Bittu’s residence

Tribune News Service
Ludhiana, August 8

Lok Insaaf Party leader Gagandeep Singh alias Sunny Kainth claimed some Congress workers attacked him and his party workers near Ludhiana Member of Parliament Ravneet Singh Bittu’s residence on Saturday.

Kainth claimed he and his party workers went to Bittu’s house with some money that people at Bharat Nagar Chowk had donated to help purchase a ventilator at Ludhiana Civil Hospital when Congress workers came out from Ravneet Bittu’s house to attack them in the presence of some policemen.  

He claimed that his “attackers” threw down his turban. 

“When we went to meet MP Bittu, we were attacked. An SHO had earlier said only five people should go to Bittu’s residence, but when we went there, hundreds of Congressmen had already gathered. We want an FIR to be registered against the attackers and demand that SHO be suspended,” he said.

Kainth and his party colleagues then went to office of the police commissioner to complain. LIP MLA Balwinder Singh Bains, who joined them at the commissioner’s office, said: “Our partymen wanted to ask Ravneet Bittu to purchase a ventilator for the civil hospital from the money collected given that Ludhiana has been seeing a rapid rise in coronavirus cases. But the team was attacked by Congressmen. They tossed down turbans and tore clothes of Sunny Kainth and other workers. This is a murder of democracy. Action should be taken against the attackers and the SHO who supported the attackers must be suspended.”

On his part, Bittu said that he was not in Ludhiana a cited a knee injury.

“I had no information that LIP party men wanted to meet me today. I learned that all what happened today is due to personal old rivalry between Sunny Kainth and some youth congress workers. Kainth was previously associated with youth congress. A video has also gone viral in which a LIP worker is also seen attacking Congressmen. Nobody has right to attack on anyone. Whenever I return to city, I will visit Sunny Kainth’s home and meet him and also listen to their suggestions,” he said.

Gernail Singh, SHO at Division number 8 police station, said the two parties have filed cross complaints.

“We are going to lodge FIR against both parties for clash and violating rules about COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.

On being asked about LIP’s allegations, he said: “Cops had asked the LIP workers to handover memorandum to them as MP Ravneet Singh Bittu was not available today. Meanwhile, LIP and Congressmen started arguing each other and they clashed”.